Serendipity
by Squit Ayumin
Summary: Hikari welcomes the reintroduction of Takeru Takaishi to her life. There's something different about him though...
1. Chapter 1: Saikai (Reunion)

"There seemed to him to be something tragic in a friendship so coloured by romance." –_The Picture of Dorian Gray_

**Serendipity  
Chapter 1: Saikai (Reunion)  
**Squit Ayumin

Rarely did she check her mobile at work, so she hadn't heard him ring. It was only after she had left for the day that she saw the missed call from an unknown number and a voicemail to go along with it. Expecting it to be a telemarketer, she held the phone to her ear with little interest and was shocked when she instead heard a familiar voice from her past.

He cleared his throat first, his voice deeper than how she remembered.

"Hi Hikari. It's me, Takeru… Takaishi. I hope you're well. Sorry I haven't been keeping in touch. I'm in town for a couple months, so if you have time, I'd like to catch up. Call me back if you aren't too busy. Talk to you soon."

She felt a strange sensation at the sound of his voice. She hadn't seen or spoken to him in years, save the random spouts of conversation they'd have every once in a while when one would type a message to the other. They were always short-lived and surface level—simply a courtesy not to sever the link to their past.

Without thinking of what to say to him, she rang him back. He answered after the first ring.

"Hello? Hikari?"

There was no reason to be nervous. Takeru was one of the kindest, least intimidating guys she knew, but perhaps due to the amount of time that had passed since she had last heard his voice, it felt unnatural to talk to him again.

It was strange to think that he had once been her dearest friend.

"Hi Takeru," she greeted, perfectly concealing the awkwardness she felt. "What are you doing in Japan?"

"Er, I'm here on a work assignment." He sounded distracted as he spoke. "Wow, it's been a long time since I've heard your voice."

"It has," she confirmed.

"Have you just gotten off work?"

"Yes, I'm just now leaving the school."

"I see. Have you eaten? Would you like to get dinner with me?"

* * *

She considered herself a very punctual person, but Takeru had always managed to get to places before her. Indeed, as she approached the intersection where they had agreed to meet, she saw he was already there, standing in plain view. He was wearing a suit, which didn't match her memory of him. Then again, the last time she had seen him, he had only graduated school. He hadn't yet become an adult.

"Boo," she greeted quietly, stepping in front of him.

He looked up at the sound of her voice, his eyes catching her own. She instinctively smiled seeing his familiar face. Time had barely aged him. His golden blonde hair, dark azure eyes and pale smooth skin were just as she remembered, as was the charming smile that appeared as he reacted to seeing her.

They had once been so close, separated when he moved to France nearly eight years ago. She had seen him only once afterwards when he visited for Yamato's university graduation, but then he stopped coming to Japan all together and instead had his family fly out to France. He had at several times extended her an invitation to visit him, but life got in the way and she never followed through.

"What?" he asked, touching his cheek. "Do I have something on my face?"

She shook her head, still smiling. "No, you look exactly the same. It's funny because you haven't changed at all."

"You look nice," was his reply. He checked the watch on his wrist. "What do you think about sushi?"

* * *

He apologised, so Takeru of him.

"This was kind of selfish of me," he admitted as he held the door open for her. "I haven't had good sushi in so long, so I made a reservation without even asking you what you wanted."

She walked in, though she kept her eye contact with him as he did to her. "I love sushi, and besides how long has it been since you've been in Japan? You should eat what you want to eat."

"I actually came back a few years ago. I just didn't tell anyone because it was a short visit to see my family. My grandmother passed away, so I was in Shimane."

Her face fell. "Oh no, I didn't know that. I'm so sorry to hear that, Takeru."

He shrugged. "I'm sorry I didn't let you know. I thought my brother would."

He pulled her chair for her. He had always had good manners. She could remember his popularity at school. It wasn't that he was just attractive, but that he was kind and polite on top of it. Girls at their school had either found him too perfect or too boring, but to her he was just her friend Takeru.

Whether it was due to her age or their distance, she could suddenly see what those schoolgirls had once seen in him with just the simple act of pulling her chair.

She sat down, watching his tall frame as he made his way to his seat. "You don't have to feel bad. We all understand you've been busy."

"I actually haven't told anyone else I'm here yet either," he told her once he sat down. "Well, my family knows, obviously, but I only flew in last night, so…"

"I'm flattered that you thought of me second," she finished lightly.

He looked at her with an intensity she hadn't seen in a long time, the blue in his eyes a dark navy against the dim lighting of the restaurant. "I really wanted to see you again, Hikari."

She tried not to react to his sudden seriousness.

"So you're here for how long?" she asked him, changing the subject.

"Two months minimum, but they might extend it to a year after assessing everything. It depends how long they need me here. My company needs someone in Tokyo, and since I have citizenship, it made sense to send me. They're paying for my rent, which is nice."

"Wow, that's incredible. And what is it that you do again?"

Takeru at one point had been one of her closest friends. She could have named every little thing about 18-year-old Takeru.

Now, he felt like a stranger, though it didn't last long.

She had been a little nervous to see him again, but it was for no reason. Their conversations flowed, their chemistry still strong.

It wasn't until the waiter apologetically told them the restaurant was closing that either noticed they had been talking for hours.

Although they hadn't seen each other in so long, she couldn't help but feel they were picking up where they had left off.

She thought this was the definition of true friendship.

* * *

"Your place is nice," he commented, looking around her flat.

He had walked her home and accepted her invitation to show him her place.

"It really is nothing special," she said with a laugh. "Make yourself at home. I made some homemade lavender tea the other day. Do you want to try it?"

He said yes, so she went to her kitchen to fetch some. When she returned, Takeru was sitting on her sofa, his suit jacket neatly folded beside him. His crisp white shirt and navy slacks reminded her of his high school uniform.

"Do you live alone?" he asked, smiling thankfully when she gave him his glass.

"No, Miyako lives here too, but she's always at Ken's, so sometimes it feels like it."

"Wow, they're still dating," he said, more as a comment than a question.

"They're definitely getting married soon," Hikari predicted. "She thinks he's never going to ask, but I think he'll pop the question any day now."

A short nod was his only response.

"We should all have a reunion," she suggested. "We all still get together from time to time. Well, your brother is kind of always MIA—" he chuckled at that "—but the rest of us keep in touch fairly often. I bet everyone wants to see you too."

"That'd be nice," he agreed with little reaction, more to give a reply than actually showing interest. "Thanks for seeing me tonight."

"Thanks for ringing me."

"I really wanted to see you again," he repeated. "I had forgotten how much I liked you."

She tried not to overanalyse what he had said. He noticed.

"I meant since we used to be so close," he corrected himself, no hint of embarrassment on his face. Such a misinterpretation would have warranted a flush of colour back in the day.

"I wanted to see you too, Takeru."

"What are you doing tomorrow after work?" he asked. "If you aren't busy, let's get dinner somewhere you like this time."

"Hm, I can ask the group what they want. I'm sure they all want to see you. We can all go out together and—"

"Not yet," he interrupted, sudden but then diffusing into a softer look. "I don't want to see everyone yet. I just want to see you."

She didn't remember him ever being so direct.

"Oh, well then…" She tried to think something she had been wanting to try. "I'll think about it."

"Are you busy?" he asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"I mean I'll think about what I want to eat," she corrected. His expression changed as his gentle, straight smile lit up his face. He still looked exactly the same, his features hiding his age. She had always liked his smile, but she noticed throughout the night that they came less frequently.

"Great," he agreed. "I get off work at five. Can we meet then?"

They talked for a little bit longer, mostly about their past memories together as opposed to anything new. He eventually grew drowsy, blaming jetlag but was more likely just the late hour, and got up to leave.

"I've really missed you," he said at the door.

"You're so forward now," she joked, handing him his suit jacket.

"I'm not. I'm just making up for the time I never said anything to you."

She looked at him awkwardly, changing the subject again. "Are you going to take a cab?"

He nodded. "I think I have to. I've missed the last train, and I live a bit far from here. Good night, Hikari. I'll see you tomorrow."

She stood by the door, waiting until the elevator doors closed and he was out of sight to head back inside. She giggled a little to herself.

Takeru had always been cute. She had never been so blind that she didn't think the two of them could have dated in the past. Nearly every person she ever met had at one point questioned their relationship, and Miyako had grown so tired of it that she nearly asked Takeru out on behalf of Hikari during their last year in high school.

To her, Takeru had always been a close, valuable friend to her. She had on occasion tried to set him up with her friends during their school years, though he always rejected her offers. She would have been lying if she said she found him unattractive.

_What if?_

It was a question she assumed had been asked multiple times in both of their minds over the course of their friendship.

* * *

By the time the sun would come up, Takeru would be gone. She was one of the last people to see him, but that wouldn't hit her until later.

He had told them all that he didn't mind moving, but she wondered if this were actually true. His hand had been a little forced, no matter how anyone looked at it. His grandfather, aged but healthy, had suddenly passed away, and with nobody within her own family to turn to, Takeru had felt an obligation to move to be with his grandmother.

The timing worked out. They were eighteen, and Takeru's next step was university. It was just that his plan had been within his home country.

His mother was asleep in her bedroom, and their friends had long said their goodbyes and gone home. She had gotten lucky that her own brother had left the party earlier than anyone else for another appointment, or she probably would have had to go home with him.

They were seated on the floor of Takeru's balcony, the cloak of the night relieving them of the humid summer day they had experienced earlier that day. A slight breeze from the invisible black bay cooled them as they talked, their conversations ranging from their childhood together to what lied ahead for them. They were catching up now because she hadn't had the chance earlier.

She was leaning against one side of the wall, facing the city. He was against the balcony window, facing the bay, his long legs perched at an angle in order to fit without dangling off the edge.

"Hikari," he said suddenly, stopping midsentence of something else he was saying.

"Hm?"

"Don't you have to go home?" he asked. "Your parents will be worried."

"No, they know I'm here," she said with little concern. Her close friendship with Takeru was something of which everyone was aware, including members of her family. They trusted him with her.

He moved to sit directly beside her so that he could stretch his legs. She looked at the difference in length between their limbs. She smiled thinking how he had once been shorter than her.

"I—" he started, stopping himself immediately.

She turned to look at him. Her eye contact with him made him turn away, looking out to the city. She watched as his wispy fringe hit against the bridge of his straight nose.

"Are you tired?" she asked him. "If you want to go to sleep…"

"No, that's not it." He turned to her again, turned away again. It was almost funny. Takeru was both outgoing and shy at the same time, this time settling for the latter. "Thanks for staying."

"Of course. It's going to be so different without you around."

And it would be. The two of them were so often together that it was difficult to find one without the other. He was her closest friend, and she his.

"Hikari," he said again in that same tone.

"Hm?"

"I just—" He was struggling to express himself, which was rare. Takeru had been gifted with eloquence both in speaking and writing. It was how he had received a scholarship for a foreign university in the first place. "I wish you could go to France."

"I'd love to go to France," she sighed dreamily, thinking of the Eiffel Tower and macarons and viennoiseries. "We could switch."

He smiled. "You don't want me to be there with you?"

"Well, you told me your French isn't very good, so I don't know how much help you'll actually be…"

He nudged his shoulder with hers, and it stayed there. "It'll get better. I'll study hard so I can show you around properly when you visit me."

She giggled. "I think you can count on Mimi visiting you before any of the rest of us can. I don't have that kind of money."

His gaze shifted from her to the city again. "Then I'll come back to see you here."

She was upset that Takeru was leaving, but because he was still here in front of her, true reality hadn't yet hit.

For a split second, she felt herself choke up. They had rarely gone more than a weekend without seeing each other. He was a true friend of hers, and tomorrow he would be on a flight to Paris.

She had looked up the distance a few weeks ago. It was 9,710 kilometres.

He noticed her glazed eyes.

"Are you crying?"

"No," she answered meekly.

"I might cry too."

She laughed at him, and he grinned back before the expression dissolved to a more sombre one.

"Hikari, I should tell you something."

"Hm?" She rested her cheek on her knees, facing him even though he was looking back at the city. She didn't know what exactly he was looking at. Past midnight, the lights of the city had all but disappeared.

He glanced her way but hurriedly looked back when they made eye contact.

"I'll miss you the most," he said, facing the city. Even without proper lighting, she could see the colour rise in his cheeks and ears.

He was cute.

"I'll miss you too, Takeru," she said to him. He seemed flustered, so she reached out, tapping his nose. He turned to face her, surprised. "You have a nice profile."

He laughed. "Thanks, I guess. What about straight on?"

"It's not as nice," she joked.

He smiled at her but turned his head again so she could only see half his face. "Maybe you're meant to always look at me from the side, Hikari."

* * *

6 May 2019

Sorry, I know I have two incomplete stories, but despite my affinity for Taiora fanfics, Takari is actually my favourite couple and Takeru my favourite character.


	2. Chapter 2: Osake (Drinks)

**Serendipity  
Chapter 2: Osake (Drinks)**

She tried not to dwell on it, but she was looking forward to seeing him again.

She broke her self-imposed rule not to use her mobile during work multiple times that day. Between each class, she would check it, and each time she would have a message from him waiting for her.

They weren't particularly profound messages. He had missed Japanese toilets. What was in her lesson plan for the day? He needed coffee because his jet lag was kicking in. What did she have for lunch? He sent her a photo of his office view overlooking Kagurazaka. How were her pupils behaving?

They were all about nothing, but they made her happy anyway.

He met her outside of her school, dressed up again, though he was missing the suit jacket this time.

"Japanese summers are too hot," he explained, "and my office isn't that formal. I was just trying not to look too casual on my first day."

"You looked nice in the suit," she commented.

"Then maybe I'll wear one again tomorrow." He looked over her shoulder. "This is where you work?"

Hikari also turned her head and saw several members of faculty and pupils behind her. Suddenly caught aware that there could be unnecessary misunderstandings, she took him by his back and started to lead him away.

"Why are you pushing me? Are you embarrassed of me?" Takeru asked with a smile.

"No, of course not," she said quickly, flustered. "I just think they might jump to conclusions if they see you."

"Why? Because I'm a guy?"

She looked up at him, wondering if he was playing dumb.

"I'm sure primary school students know that boys and girls can be friends too," he said nonchalantly, then changed the subject. "Are you hungry?

* * *

"I brought you something from Paris," he announced towards the end of dinner. "I wanted to give it to you yesterday, but I chickened out."

He reached beside the table to unclasp his briefcase, then took out a box wrapped elegantly in shiny grey wrapping with a gold ribbon lace. She wondered how he had managed to get it here in such pristine condition.

"I didn't wrap it. The woman at the shop did," he explained when he saw her admiring it. "The packaging is nicer than the actual gift."

It felt obstructive to ruin something that had been packaged so perfectly, but with Takeru watching her she took it from the table. Surprised at first by the weight, she carefully unwrapped it to reveal a leather-bound book.

"It's a photo album," he explained, looking at her hopefully. "Are you still into photography?"

In reality, it had been a while since she had practised the hobby, but the fact he had gotten something for her gave her a sudden inspiration to pick it up again.

"Thank you so much," she said, suddenly feeling bad that she had nothing to offer him in return.

He seemed pleased that she had appreciated his gift and turned to flag the waiter for their bill. He turned back to face her, golden hair framing his excited eyes.

"Let's get a drink."

She scrunched her nose. "It's a school night."

He laughed. "How old are you?"

"Older than you," she countered. Takeru used to roll his eyes when she reminded him that her birthday came first. He had found it an unnecessary fact to point out, though she was only telling the truth.

He didn't do it this time. "Let's just have one."

"Takeru, I really can't. I'm not very good at drinking…"

"Just one," he insisted, already pulling her up.

* * *

He chased his shot with the smidge of salt on the back of her hand.

"Takeru!" she squealed, wiping her hand on her skirt. She felt like she wasn't overexaggerating her shock, as the sudden glide of his tongue against her skin had been uncalled for.

He, on the other hand, seemed to be perfectly unmoved, as if the act should not have provoked such a reaction.

He was biting down on a lime. "You didn't take yours."

"I'm not taking shots on a Tuesday night."

"Then I'll take yours."

She held it away. "No way. How's your tolerance?"

"Probably better than yours."

Even though she had no way of knowing, it was likely true. Everyone's tolerance was better than hers. Nonetheless, she moved her shot glass to the other end of the bar where she thought he couldn't reach it. She had forgotten how long limbed he was, however, for he easily reached over her to take it from the table.

She watched as he took hers too. This time, he didn't chase it, and she felt her heart beating faster for no reason.

Well, there was a reason, but she refused to believe it.

Sure, it had been a long time, but Takeru was not like that. He was too nice, too respectful. He wasn't the type of person who looked for a hook-up.

"Do you want to go home?" he asked, leaning towards her to speak over the loud music.

She wasn't sure whether her answer was a yes or no. It should have been a yes, but she wasn't entirely convinced it was what she wanted. She had already had a beer, some Belgian one she had never heard of that Takeru insisted was the best. The Takeru she remembered didn't know how to drink.

She looked up at him and met his eyes, always her favourite feature of his. She felt a faint heat across her face and was thankful for the dim lighting for concealing it.

He was handsome, she decided. She had always thought Takeru came from an attractive family, but it was Yamato who had gotten most of the attention. Takeru was cute, but Yamato was the one who projected seduction.

However, now that she was so close to him, she could see his appeal. He had grown up, his childlike features transformed to that of a man.

"No, we can stay," she answered finally.

His lips spread to his even grin, its greatest merit in how genuine each one of them looked. She wondered how he was always able to make them look so real, even when she knew they weren't.

He turned his head to order another round, breaking her eye contact with him.

* * *

She was stumbling, the only thing stopping her from falling being Takeru's grip on her. Her arm was linked over his shoulder to balance herself, while his arm was around her waist. It was an awkward walk for them, he having to hunch down to better match her height while she was attempting her hardest to walk in a straight line.

"I've never known anyone with tolerance is as bad as yours," he teased.

"Then why did you get me so drunk?" she demanded, embarrassed by the situation and trying her hardest to act sober. She knew she was failing.

"You literally had two beers."

"I told you I can't drink!" she retorted, louder than her normal voice.

She looked up to see she was somehow in front of her flat door. He was looking through her bag for her key.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked him, using the wall of the corridor to steady herself.

He looked up from his mission, locking eyes with her. She felt herself flush again when he kept staring, as if trying to figure out how to respond.

"I shouldn't," he muttered before looking down, rummaging through her bag again.

"Miyako might be home," she thought aloud, starting to knock on her door.

"Here, I found it." He took the keys out of her bag and showed them to her. "Hold on, stand still."

She squealed as he put a hand around her waist and used it to pull her away from the wall to him. He unlocked the door, pushing it open with his shoulder.

The flat was dark, which meant Miyako was at Ken's.

As Takeru shut the door and turned on the lights, she remembered to take off her shoes before wobbling to the couch, flopping herself on it and feeling the world finally steady itself.

"I'm thirsty," she said into her cushion.

He got her water.

After he somehow enabled her to hold her glass upright, he distanced himself and stood against the other end of the room, drinking from the glass he had poured for himself.

"Sorry for making you come all the way here. You can stay the night if you'd like," she offered, trying to get her eyes to focus on him. When they did, she noticed he was staring again.

"That's all right. I'll leave in a little bit."

"Why not? You said your flat is in Kagurazaka. That's far away. You can crash on my couch."

"It's not that far with a taxi."

"It's expensive."

"I get paid in euros, and the yen is weak right now."

She pouted, setting her glass on her coffee table. "Do you not trust me?"

"I never said that."

"That's what it sounds like right now."

He lowered his glass from his lips, smirking a little. "Do you want me to spend the night, Hikari?"

"Yes, that's why I'm offering," she said irritably, the emotion a derivative of her inebriation.

His smirk disappeared, and he looked off towards the hallway that led to her bedroom.

"Just stay," she insisted, looking at his profile. He had a nicely shaped nose, she remembered. She told him so.

He looked confused at first by the strange comment, though he recovered a second later. "Do I?"

It was the way he had said it that suddenly embarrassed her. He had seemed almost smug, which was an adjective she never would have used previously to describe him.

She changed the topic. "If you want, you can sleep in my room, and I can sleep in Miyako's. You're welcome to stay."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"What?" she slurred. "Where did that come from?"

He looked unfazed by her outburst, his voice as steady as always. "I lied yesterday. When I came to Japan a few years ago, I was also in Tokyo for a few days, but I didn't call you because my brother told me you had a boyfriend. Are you still with him?"

She probably could have read more into that had it not been for the alcohol in her system. "Don't you think I would have mentioned a boyfriend by now if I had one? No, I don't have a boyfriend." She gasped, realising what he was implying. "Takeru, just so we're clear, I am _not_ inviting you to do anything! I'm just offering you a place to sleep because you're my friend!"

"I know that," he stuttered quickly, looking flustered for the first time. "I know you."

"Good. You better not take advantage of me because I'm drunk."

His lips pointed downwards as he frowned. "Do you really think I'd do something like that?"

She giggled, finding it funny how upset he looked by her allegation. "You won't. I know you won't. I know you too, Takeru. You've always been such a nice guy."

Again, his features softened. He drank from his water glass again. "I'm sorry I got you drunk."

"It's okay. I never drink, so it was kind of fun." She giggled, lying back down on her stomach. "I'm going to be late for work tomorrow. I know it."

"I'll ring you in the morning to make sure you wake up."

"You can spend the night, Takeru."

"I can't," he declined again.

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I think I'm a little drunk too, and I don't trust myself with you."

Her face fell. "Why do you say that? What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. That isn't what I'm saying."

She felt herself getting annoyed, even though she was able to make out that she was completely misinterpreting him. "Then what are you saying, Takeru?"

He didn't say anything. Through her clouded vision, she couldn't tell whether he looked conflicted or indifferent.

He sat down on the floor, folding his legs over the other. She no longer had to look up, nearly eye level with him though he was at the other side of the room.

"I should have asked you out in high school."

"What?"

"I should have asked you out," he repeated calmly. "I didn't because I was too afraid of being rejected. It's been over a decade, but seeing you again made me realise I still regret it."

"What?"

"Never mind," he said, realising she was not really attentive. "Do you think you can go to bed by yourself?"

"I'm not _that_ drunk, Ta-ke-ru." She stressed each syllable of his name, standing up to prove she was okay. She walked over to him, outstretching her hands to help him up. "Are you sure you don't want to spend the night?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, getting up without her aid.

"You're so nice, Takeru." She was standing on her tiptoes, looking at him straight in the eyes. "And you smell nice."

For claiming he wasn't sober, he sure didn't look it. Although she wasn't in a state of mind to be truly embarrassed about it and thus stop herself, she could still feel her sloppiness. In comparison, Takeru seemed so composed.

"Let's hang out tomorrow too."

"No, you got me drunk! It's a school night!" Losing her balance, she dropped from standing on her toes, Takeru catching her back. "I guess you aren't _that_ nice then."

"I'm nice," he affirmed. He removed his hand from her back once she steadied herself. "So can I see you tomorrow?"

"No drinking?"

"No drinking," he promised.

He walked to the door, she following him despite her wobbly steps. As she watched him put his shoes back on, she felt herself speak without thinking it through.

"You shouldn't regret something from so long ago. I'm not that great, Takeru."

He didn't look up, and she suddenly felt conceited. He was just saying words. Who was she to think he had put her on some pedestal?

"I always thought you were," he said finally, turning to look at her. Although she was unsure whether she had created it in her head, his gaze had a staggering intensity to them. "I always thought you were perfect."

She didn't know what to say. Back in school, her friends would teasingly entertain the idea of Takeru confessing to her. She had always shot them down, saying it was never going to happen, only to hear it a decade later.

"Would you have said yes to me, Hikari?"

He was looking for an answer she couldn't give. She looked down at her feet, twitching her shoulders in a light shrug. She looked back up at him, but she couldn't make out his reaction. He didn't say anything, just staring at her.

She suddenly felt the innocence of a schoolgirl, fully expecting Takeru to make some sort of move, a sudden rush of anticipation flowing through her body as she recalled she had on occasion wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

He reached down just to kiss the air around both her cheeks instead, now accustomed to something he once never did.

"Good night, Hikari. Drink more water before bed."

And was gone.

* * *

16 June 2019


	3. Chapter 3: Socchoku (Candour)

**Serendipity  
Chapter 3: Socchoku (Candour)**

It was getting bizarre.

Though she had seen him every day that week, he had yet to tell anyone else of his return. He had looked so unbothered when she had brought up, as if unable to understand why she found it so strange in the first place.

"It's not like I'm hiding it. I just want to spend my time with you is all."

He had laughed as he said it, clearly joking but having her thoughts make assumptions anyway. She had quickly brushed past it to say she would tell the others, as she was sure they would want to see him. He had agreed with such little reaction that she wondered if he even cared at all.

It was at Saturday brunch with the girls that she finally let out the news. She had tried to only casually mention it, but she should have known better, as she was immediately bombarded with questions.

"Hikari! Why wouldn't you mention this to me earlier? I live with you!" Miyako demanded, practically rising from her seat. Hikari didn't point out that this was her first time seeing her all week, not that Miyako would accept that as an excuse. "And why has he only seen you?"

"Because he's still in love with her, obviously," Mimi answered for her.

"Why didn't Yamato mention this to us? Taichi hasn't said anything either, so he must not know," Sora thought aloud. None of them were that close to Yamato anymore following his move out of Tokyo, but he did keep in touch with Taichi and Sora the most.

"Takeru is definitely still in love with you," Mimi declared again, when nobody reacted the first time.

"He was never in love with me," Hikari protested.

Each member of audience rolled her eyes.

"You're lying to yourself, and you know it," Miyako said loudly. "Takeru used to be obsessed with you."

"Even_ I_ noticed," Mimi huffed, "and I didn't even live in the same country for part of it!"

As Sora and Miyako giggled, Hikari felt herself at a loss of what to say to defend him.

"Why are you so embarrassed?" Mimi asked her, feeling her discomfort. "Takeru's a catch. You should go for it. If I were just a bit younger, I certainly would."

"Takeru isn't interested in me. He's just a good friend."

"Right," Mimi sarcastically agreed with a wink. "Ah, young love. When was the last time someone threw themselves at me?" Mimi flashed her enormous diamond ring at them. "I should bin this old thing. It's intimidating all of the would-be suitors from looking my way. I want a young bachelor like Takeru to be all over me too."

"He isn't all over me," Hikari protested.

"Right," Sora and Miyako teased in unison.

"Just own it, Hikari. It takes skill to have the same person on hand for so many years." Mimi sighed loudly. "You know, I will say I'm offended that he doesn't want to see the rest of us though. No matter how in love he is with you, that doesn't give him the right to ignore us."

"Seriously," Miyako agreed. She suddenly gasped. "Have you brought him over to our place?"

Hikari nodded, which was a mistake because the looks on everyone's faces meant they understood it as something else.

"He just looked around, that's all!" Hikari clarified, flustered by the notion. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I don't believe you for one second, Hikari Yagami!" Mimi cried, louder than her. "Don't think you can always prance around acting so innocent! We're not stupid!"

Sora giggled, nudging Mimi to quiet down. Hikari felt betrayed. Whenever the girls teamed up, Sora was the one who was usually on her side.

Miyako also looked less than impressed. "How is he always over at _our_ flat, yet he's never once said hello to me?"

"Hello? It's because you're never home," Mimi answered for Hikari. "You need Ken to step up and propose to you. Immediately."

"I'm _trying_," Miyako bemoaned. "You'd think after all these years together that he wouldn't have commitment issues."

"Anyway," Mimi flipped her long locks behind her shoulder, not caring to change the subject. "I want to see Takeru too. Why don't we host a gathering for him? We can all meet at my place. We can do it tonight! What do you think, Hikari?"

Hikari saw all three women look at her, and she was unsure why.

"You have to invite him," Mimi explained impatiently. "You're the only one with his contact information."

She felt her phone buzz, and everyone looked down at her phone on the table, Takeru's name lighting up on the screen. She felt herself blush, and she quickly put her hand over it, though her friends had already seen.

"You're not doing yourself any favours by being so secretive," Miyako teased. "Show us what it says! Is he telling you he loves you?"

"Ask him if he'll see us tonight!" Mimi urged. "If you're nervous, just give me the phone. I'll ask him for you. I'll make him go!"

She opened his message.

"_Happy Saturday! Have you eaten yet? Want to grab lunch?"_

Miyako's fingers were now on her phone screen, scrolling up to see just how often they had been speaking. "You guys are practically dating!"

"We're not—"

Mimi seized her phone and dialled. Hikari wanted to protest but fell silent, knowing she could never win against the mighty Mimi.

"Takeru?" Mimi said into the receiver after a second. "No, this is Mimi…!

"…Don't pretend you're happy to hear my voice! I know you were hoping I was Hikari…!

"…Then why didn't you tell us you were in Tokyo…?

"…I've been living here for years, thank you very much…!

"…I know exactly what you're doing! I'm not so naïve! Don't you dare try to flatter me, Takeru Takaishi…!"

Sora looked at Hikari apologetically as Mimi continued to lecture Takeru on Hikari's phone. "We're overwhelming you, aren't we?"

Hikari shook her head. "Not at all."

She had always admired Sora, who seemed to understand everyone and everything. She gave Hikari a knowing look.

"What does he look like now?" Miyako blurted, interrupting them.

"Do you think he looks good?

"What does he do?

"Where does he live?

"Why did you invite him to our flat anyway?! Oh my gosh, Hikari!"

Miyako shot her a million questions. Hikari was so flustered that she hadn't even realised Mimi had hung up. She only noticed when she suddenly felt her phone being shoved back in her hands.

"We need to gather supplies immediately," Mimi declared loudly, silencing Miyako. She turned to Sora. "Let's go shopping." She then turned to the younger two. "You two gather everyone. Everyone needs to be at my flat at 8 PM sharp! Tell them they have no choice!"

Without waiting for a response, Mimi had grabbed Sora and was already dragging her away.

She felt her phone vibrate.

"_Mimi told me off, but you don't have to apologise because I've already forgiven you. You'll go tonight too, right?"_

"See?" Miyako said, reading over her shoulder. "Obsessed."

* * *

She was very conscious of the number of times Takeru had looked her way.

As the guest of honour, everyone was taking turns talking to him. From what she could overhear, he gave similar, vague responses to the same questions over and over again but generally was being friendly with everyone. Every so often, they would catch each other's eyes, and each time, he would stop what he was saying momentarily to smile at her.

She was also very conscious that people were beginning to catch on.

It was a welcome gathering for her, as it had become increasingly rarer to bring everyone together. Everyone but Yamato was there, which was expected as he no longer lived in Tokyo. He never seemed to be around anymore, though Takeru had mentioned that he'd seen him already.

She pretended not to notice that he was walking in her direction. She pretended to check her phone.

"Hi."

She looked up and saw him grinning at her. Each day she had seen him that week, he had come straight from work, but now that it was the weekend, she realised it was her first time seeing him wearing his personal clothes. There was something foreign about his style, even when dressed down.

"Hi," she greeted back, putting her phone away. She took the cup he offered her, attempting to guess what the clear liquid inside was.

"It's water," he revealed. He tilted his own out to her. "This is gin."

"You don't need to act so high and mighty, Takeru," she said to him with a feigned look of annoyance. "Your tolerance wasn't that great either."

"Oh, it's much better than yours," he teased. He looked over at Mimi's balcony. "It's hot. Want to step outside with me?"

"Just you and me?' Hikari looked around to see if anyone was watching them. Nearly everyone was pretending not to. "I think people are going to get the wrong idea."

He followed her line of sight but seemed either not to notice what it was she could see or chose to ignore it. "People can think whatever they want."

She felt herself blush, interrupted when Taichi suddenly appeared and stepped between them.

"Hi Takeru," he greeted, giving Hikari a look she didn't quite understand. "Tell me; why is it that you and your brother are always missing in action?"

Takeru looked confused as Taichi commandeered the conversation to note Yamato's constant absence. Feeling herself getting ostracised by her own brother, Hikari broke away quietly to meet the girls on the other side of the room.

"Go away, we're gossiping about you," Miyako joked, taking Hikari by the arm and pulling her to them. "Tell us. What did Takeru say to you?"

"He just wanted to give me water…" Hikari explained as Miyako took a sip to confirm that's what it was.

"Takeru is following you around like a little puppy," Mimi construed. She frowned. "My husband hasn't looked at me that way since our wedding."

"At least you have a husband," Miyako grumbled. "I've been dating Ken way longer too."

Mimi didn't seem to be paying any attention to Miyako, glaring in Taichi's direction instead. "You know, your brother ruins everything. Look at poor Takeru."

"Taichi's probably just nervous," Sora said with a slight roll of the eye. "Takeru isn't exactly being stealthy about his affection for you, is he?"

Before she could protest, Mimi had already guessed her response.

"Ugh, I can't stand it. Just date him!" she hissed, trying to be quiet but failing. "Why do you two always make things complicated?"

Hikari felt like she was being attacked for no reason.

"He's only in town temporarily," Hikari reminded her.

"Who even cares?" Mimi cried. "Do you like him? He's clearly in love with you, and you're single too. Just have fun with him." When Hikari didn't react, she nearly threw her hands up in frustration. "You want to know why I'm the only one who's married? Because I'm not looking for the one million things that can go wrong and instead l just go with the flow!"

"Mimi, calm down," Sora tried.

Hikari was too embarrassed to check whether Takeru could hear them. Of course he could. He was only a few metres away.

"But seriously," Miyako said to her, seemingly unaffected by Mimi's dramatics, "He's being so obvious about it. He isn't even pretending to hide it, so why are you pretending you don't know?" She suddenly lowered her voice. "Speaking of which…"

Takeru had appeared beside them.

"Hi Takeru," Miyako greeted him. "Are you here to talk to us or just Hikari?"

Takeru only smiled at them.

"Of course he only wants to talk to Hikari. He's been ignoring us all night," Mimi huffed, giving his shoulder a push. "We'll let you off the hook this time. Girls, let's leave these two alone."

Hikari, embarrassed, tried to stop them, but the three left as a group anyway. She looked at Takeru, who hadn't said anything in their defence. She pointed this out to him.

"Why are you embarrassed?" he asked, looking genuinely puzzled.

"I don't know," she mumbled, feeling silly. "I just feel like I'm reliving high school again."

"Why? Because everyone thinks we're dating when we aren't?"

She looked up at him, his expression void of the shyness she could feel in her own. Just as she was thinking how he had gotten more serious with age, he smiled, and she saw his younger, boyish self again.

It was shattered as he spoke again.

"Everyone knew I liked you, Hikari. Surely you knew too."

She felt weird.

He was right in that she knew. Of course she did. It was impossible for her not to when every single one of her peers felt the need to point it out to her, but while it was true that it wasn't necessarily a well-kept secret, it was still something that had always been unspoken between the two of them. Now, Takeru seemed to have no problem just putting it out there. He had said it like it was nothing. She didn't know how to feel about it.

She decided not to draw attention to it, mirroring him. "I'm still trying to get used to this new degree of candour from you."

He looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You used to be shyer."

"Do you not like it?"

She felt embarrassed, though she didn't know why. It wasn't like he found the conversation to be strange. "No, it's not that... I guess you're just different from how I remember you."

His expression didn't change. She thought it unsettling that he was either always giving his winning smile or just staring off into nothing. The former reminded her of the boy she knew. The latter she felt like she didn't know him at all.

"You're the same," he told her. "I was surprised by how little you've changed."

She frowned.

"It's a good thing," he added. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his vibrating phone. He looked at the screen for a while, then looked at her apologetically to excuse himself. As he was walking away, she heard him speak in rapid French.

She had never heard him speak it before, and she realised his voice sounded different when he spoke the foreign language. It didn't even sound like him.

When she had first seen him, she had originally thought he had changed very little too, but the more she spent time with him, the more that vision faltered.

* * *

She enjoyed attending social events, but it was fairly commonplace that she would leave once she grew tired. It was getting late, and she was definitely feeling drowsy, but she didn't say anything, not wanting to leave just yet. Part of her knew that it was because Takeru was still there too.

They were now seated in Mimi's living room, gathered in a circle. Despite the vast couches spread across the enormous room, they could not accommodate all twelve of them. Takeru and Hikari, being two of the youngest, sat on the floor.

She had worn a dress, so Takeru had given her his jacket to cover her legs. Mimi had not wasted a single second to point this out to the audience, and again she seemed to be the only one uncomfortable with the attention. Takeru hadn't said anything, instead sitting cross-legged on the ground, his knee placed on top of hers despite having ample room if he moved over just a tiny bit. If anyone noticed this, they didn't say anything. She couldn't even tell if Takeru noticed.

"Are you still jetlagged?" Sora asked him as he yawned.

"A little bit," he admitted. "I might head home soon."

"Hikari mentioned you're in Kagurazaka?"

From the loveseat closest to her, Taichi turned to Hikari and muttered under his breath so that only she could hear. "Why do you know where he lives?"

She knew it was more of a scolding than an actual question he wanted her to answer.

"My company has a corporate apartment there," Takeru explained. "It's walking distance to my office, which is nice."

"But far from Odaiba," Miyako inferred. "That's quite a commute you have to make _all_ the way to our place, Takeru."

Taichi glared, no longer trying to keep his voice low. "What did you just say?"

Miyako put her hands to her mouth as if she had made a mistake. Sora, seated next to him, tugged on his shirt as if to keep him in place. Mimi was less discreet.

"Shut up, Taichi," she ordered, earning a glare that she promptly ignored.

Takeru didn't seem bothered at all. "It's a small price to pay for an old friend."

"Hey, _I'm_ your friend too," Daisuke interjected. "The three of us were all in the same class together, but you didn't tell me anything."

Takeru's expression remained unchanged. "So do you guys all live around here?"

Daisuke looked annoyed at being ignored but couldn't say anything when Takeru himself looked so poised.

"Taichi and I live near Shibuya," Sora answered. "We live in the same building, which is a pain."

Taichi, though not quite over what Miyako said, stepped in at Sora's remark. "First of all, I lived there first, and you followed me. Don't make it sound like it wasn't your own choice. Second, we both know you like being my neighbour."

"Yes, I love being harassed by you every day," she retorted sarcastically.

"Only because you're single and ageing. I've told you I can set you up with one of my friends."

"No way. You always set me up with guys you already know I'm incompatible with."

"That isn't true. You're just too picky."

"Can you guys please argue later?" Mimi interrupted. "I'm so sick of you two."

Hikari knew that Taichi and Sora's friendship had carried over into adulthood. She could never tell whether they were arguing or flirting, but if anything was going on between them, it was casual at best and nobody would tell her. She was the little sister, and therefore she was somehow always last to know about Taichi's love life.

"So Koshiro and I are both in Shinjuku," Joe offered to bring them back on topic. "I just finished my residency, so I'm officially—"

"Who cares about that?" Mimi interrupted. "Takeru, I'll tell you what you actually need to know about us."

Hikari giggled with the rest of the group as Mimi took turns pointing out what was happening in everyone's personal lives. Mimi had a way of telling things that were true but taken out of context, leaving questions for the listener to ask.

Joe had been engaged for too long in her opinion, though he was quick to explain he was focusing on work.

Koshiro flushed when she told Takeru of his secret girlfriend that nobody had met, and therefore Mimi could only deduce he was either embarrassed of her or she didn't exist.

Daisuke, Ken, and Iori were in Chiyoda, where Daisuke and Ken were flatmates. Ken and Miyako were still going strong—

"But no ring," Mimi pointed out to Ken.

—while Iori had a long-time girlfriend he had been dating since law school.

"As for your brother," Mimi finished, "Nobody knows what he's been up to. Maybe you should be the one who updates us."

Yamato had moved to Tsukuba for work, which was an hour and a half outside of Tokyo. Sora probably kept the most in-touch with him, but she often said she would always have to reach out to him first.

"He's doing well," Takeru assured them. "I saw him not too long ago. He's busy with work."

"Aren't we all?" Daisuke looked at Mimi. "You forgot about me."

"Daisuke is in love with some girl who uses him, but he convinces himself it's real because he doesn't want to be alone," Miyako finished for Mimi.

Taichi roared with laughter.

Daisuke glowered at her. "I hate you." He turned to Ken. "She isn't allowed to stay over at our flat anymore."

Miyako slid onto Ken's lap. "Just try to stop me, Daisuke."

"You and I are better off single anyway," Taichi said to Daisuke, reaching over to slap him on the back. He looked at Sora. "But Sora here needs a boyfriend immediately because she's getting too old."

He dodged a swipe from Sora. "We're the same age!"

"Yeah, but I look way younger than you," Tai laughed even as her hand hit the top of his head.

"Stop it!" Mimi demanded. She got up and sat between them. Sora looked embarrassed by her outburst.

"Hikari is single," Miyako pointed out unnecessarily to Takeru.

"So I've heard." Takeru looked past Taichi's frown to her. He gave her a soft smile, which made her all too aware of those watching them. She tried to look unaffected but knew the colour of her face was giving it away.

"We're here too, Takeru," Mimi announced loudly. "You can make heart eyes at me too if you'd like."

Takeru turned to her. "I wouldn't want to get in trouble with your husband."

"Oh, that'd be exciting," Mimi said happily. She giggled loudly. "Can you imagine if I had an affair?"

Mimi was the only one of them who had gotten married. She lived in an enormous flat in Akasaka with her rich husband, Michael, though he was often traveling between Japan and the U.S., which meant Mimi was often bored. She made jokes from time to time, but everyone knew how happy she was.

Even though Hikari saw individual people frequently—the girls, Taichi, and Daisuke in particular—it was nice to have everyone together. Although she was admittedly one of the quieter members and didn't always contribute much to the conversation, she enjoyed their gatherings and listening to their friendly banter. Takeru meshed back in in a way that almost felt like he had never left.

It was only when he yawned and announced that he was tired that he finally said he ought to head back. Since the guest of honour was leaving, everyone else decided to follow suit, despite Mimi's protests that some people stay out later. Even Taichi and Daisuke, who would usually stay longer with her, declined.

"When did you guys become so lame?" she demanded from them.

"You're thirty," Taichi pointed out, which made Mimi hate him. Hikari whispered to Takeru that Mimi in particular was not loving ageing.

"Are you going home tonight?" Hikari asked Miyako, wondering if they could take the train together. She declined, saying she would go to Ken's.

"I'm almost thirty, and I'm still not engaged," she whispered impatiently to Hikari so Ken couldn't hear.

Mimi's flat was convenient for everyone to meet not only because it was the biggest, but because it was in the middle of everyone. Joe and Koshiro headed towards Shinjuku, while Daisuke, Ken, Iori, and Miyako headed for Chiyoda. Taichi and Sora would head for Shibuya, which left her and Takeru as the outliers.

In reality, she and Takeru lived on opposite sides of Mimi's flat, but they could at least walk to the metro together. Takeru was first to suggest it, but Taichi quickly interrupted.

"Takeru, I'll give you a lift."

He looked at Taichi curiously but appreciatively agreed. Hikari wondered if Takeru remembered that Kagurazaka was the opposite direction of Shibuya as well, so it wasn't that he was on the way for her brother.

Further still, Taichi and Sora lived in the same complex, but he had left Sora behind.

"I hope my brother isn't overreacting," Hikari worried, watching them walk away together.

She and her brother were close, but they had an interesting dynamic in that he would either choose to be overly involved in her life or not at all. He claimed it was because there were things they were better off not knowing about each other, but once he was worried, he was _very_ worried.

"I'm sure Taichi's just being careful," Sora offered warmly. "We all like Takeru."

Hikari thought about pointing out that she and Takeru weren't anything, but she chose not to. Unlike Mimi and Miyako, who were more likely to pry and tease, Sora was like a wise older sister to her. She enjoyed talking to Mimi and Miyako, for they had contrasting personalities to her own and thought in ways she never could, but she had a special place in her heart for Sora. Sora was the person she went to for sound, non-judgmental advice.

She checked her phone multiple times starting from her commute home until she was lying down for bed. Takeru hadn't texted her, and she wondered if it meant he was still talking to her brother or he simply had gone to sleep without saying goodnight. The latter didn't seem likely, as he hadn't failed to do so every day since he had moved back to Tokyo.

Just as she was about to write to him first, her phone buzzed and Takeru's name lit up on the screen.

"_Did you get home okay?"_

She deleted what she had already written, now smiling happily at his text. He hadn't just forgotten and gone to bed.

She was being so silly. What was she even doing, waiting for Takeru to text her?

She had started to write a response when she received another message from him.

"_I had fun tonight,"_ came his second text to her.

"_I'm home, and I'm glad you had fun. I told you the others wanted to see you!"_

"_I never doubted that. I was just choosing to spend my time with you."_

She stared as his message, trying to decipher it though he couldn't have been clearer. The last time he had said something like that, he had been joking, but it was harder to determine the tone through text. She wasn't sure how to respond.

"_Aren't you glad you saw everyone?"_ she asked him, knowing she was changing the subject and knowing Takeru would pick up on it too.

His response came a minute later, even though she knew he had seen the text earlier.

"_Of course I am. Have a good night, Hikari."_

* * *

26 August 2019

For full disclosure, I never watched Zero Two, so please excuse any characterisation discrepancies. Thank you so much for the reviews!


	4. Chapter 4: Kizuna (Bond)

**Serendipity  
Chapter 4: Kizuna (Bond)**

It was only the next morning that he called her again, this time inviting her over to his place.

"My food is expiring, so I need to eat everything," he explained.

She hesitated, wondering for a moment whether they were seeing too much of each other. She didn't want to become the centre of gossip.

"Can I invite Miyako?"

For once, her flatmate was home, though she wasn't in the best of moods. She and Ken had gotten into an argument the night before.

"I only have enough ingredients for two, I'm afraid."

"Is that true, or are you trying to tell me Miyako isn't invited?" she teased, quietly so she couldn't be heard from next door.

"A little bit of both," he admitted with a laugh. "Come over. I want to see you—and I have a raclette grill."

She wasn't sure what that meant, but he seemed excited, and she agreed.

Takeru lived an hour away by tube, so she had planned to leave immediately after hanging up, but she stopped upon seeing her reflection. She looked too plain. She changed from her casual outfit to a summer dress, curled her lashes and added mascara. Now she looked like she was trying too hard, but she left anyway because she didn't want to keep him waiting.

"Flowers?" he commented when he saw her.

She held up the pink bouquet shyly. "I didn't want to show up emptyhanded."

In truth, she hadn't known what to get him. She usually took cake when she went to friends' homes, but he was probably now used to French pastries. He seemed to like wine, but not being much of a drinker, she had felt intimidated by the variety and self-conscious that he might be able to tell she didn't know what she was doing. She settled with flowers.

"Thank you. I actually do think there is a vase around here somewhere…" He opened the front door wider for her. "Come on in. It's not much, but I'll give you a tour."

As she stepped inside, her immediate impression was that his flat felt… sterile. It was practically empty, still waiting for someone to move in—more like a model showroom than a home that housed any real people. Largely devoid of any non-essential embellishments, matching furniture lined the minimalist rooms. Takeru himself didn't seem to be very familiarised with the place, opening several cupboards before finding the vase he was looking for. He examined it for dust and rinsed it before placing the pink bouquet inside. He set it down on his glass coffee table, it now the only decorative piece in the living room.

He continued showing her around, passing the dining table in the annex connecting the living room to the kitchen. His bathroom and toilet were neat and tidy, though it could have just been because they were so bare. His bedroom seemed to have the most evidence that someone lived there, though not by much. There were clothes in his wardrobe, a laptop on his desk, and a suitcase in a corner. She noticed that he had made the bed, which added to the empty feel.

He read her face and without her initiating anything told her that he had only brought what he needed because his assignment was only set for two months. She felt a sadness at the reminder that he didn't seem to notice or reciprocate. Instead, he turned to her eagerly.

"Hungry?"

* * *

She didn't know what she had been expecting Takeru to make, but what she didn't expect was that it wouldn't be Japanese cuisine.

She learned that a raclette grill was used to melt a pungent cheese, which you then poured onto food that was heated on top of it. The concept was all too foreign to her.

He warned it would smell, opening the balcony door.

He opened a bottle of wine that he had brought back from France. She rarely drank, less so during the day, but she accepted when he had asked. She noticed he didn't give her much.

"I'm glad I brought flowers and not wine. I was scared you'd be a wine connoisseur or something having lived in Paris."

He looked at her oddly.

"What?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"I'm still me."

She suddenly felt guilty, worried she had put a stereotype on him that he didn't deserve, but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he looked at her hopefully and asked how she liked the raclette.

It was an alien taste, but she still enjoyed it, maybe in part too because she felt rather touched that Takeru had prepared it for her. Despite it being called a grill, everything had already been cooked in advance. She envisioned him cleaning and chopping everything in preparation to make her a meal.

She should stop. Who was she to think it was all for her? He was going to cook for himself whether she came over or not.

"I'm glad you like it," Takeru said with a sigh of relief. "I was nervous you wouldn't, but you were never a picky eater, right?"

"I eat everything," she confirmed. "That's what happens when you grow up with my brother."

Takeru chuckled. "I would imagine so."

She had brought up Taichi on purpose. She was waiting for Takeru to elaborate on the night before. Just what had they talked about together?

"Try this," Takeru said, pushing potatoes to her with his fork. "They're duck fat potatoes. It sounds weird, but they're good."

She let him serve her, disappointed that he had changed the subject. She didn't want to be obvious, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"Did my brother say anything to you about me last night?"

Takeru looked up with another one of those expressions that she still couldn't read. "Kind of."

"What does 'kind of' mean?"

He broke a smile. "It means I promised Taichi I wouldn't say anything."

"That's unfair, isn't it? You two are talking about me behind my back."

"It was more about me anyway," Takeru said with a chuckle. "Taichi doesn't seem to have changed much, has he?"

Hikari didn't say anything, wanting Takeru to further explain. She tried to look serious, though he didn't seem to be able to tell. He tried to change the subject again, but when she didn't react, he finally succumbed.

"It really wasn't a big deal. It was along the lines of him telling me that he wants me to be careful." He laughed lightly when her frown stayed in place. "Don't worry about it, Hikari. It was a pleasant conversation. He likes me."

She loved her brother, but sometimes she wished he didn't see her as a child. He was never threatening with her past boyfriends, but he certainly didn't make it easy for them either. He would always tell her that she'd understand once she was older, no matter what her age was.

"He's worrying about nothing again," she muttered.

Takeru was still smiling, seemingly enjoying the conversation. "Why would Taichi have to worry about me?"

"Exactly," Hikari agreed defiantly. "He's just getting nervous because he probably heard we've been seeing each other often."

"Have we?"

Hikari looked at him, confusedly. He was poking the food on the raclette grill again, no particular emotion on his face. Was he playing dumb?

"Don't you think we've been seeing a lot of each other?" she asked him.

"You don't like it?" he asked, moving some vegetables on her plate.

"That isn't what I meant…"

He looked up at her. "Then you do like it?"

She blushed from the awkward question, drawing a silvery laugh from him. She got the idea he was toying with her, though she wasn't sure why he would.

Now she was the one who changed the subject.

"I didn't think you knew how to cook."

"I've lived by myself for years. It'd be weirder if I couldn't at this point."

"I thought you lived with your grandmother? Isn't that why you went to France?"

The shift in Takeru's expression was so quick that she was sure she was just making it up. His tone stayed the same as he explained, "My grandmother had a stroke a little over a year ago, so she's in assisted living now."

She felt herself get smaller.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I had no idea."

"That's because I didn't tell you. Don't feel sorry." He poured the cheese for her because she wasn't moving. "What do you think about the potatoes?"

"They're good."

They ate the remainder of the meal, and when he got up to clear the table, he refused her offer to help.

She watched him, still feeling apologetic, and realised that she didn't actually know much about how he had been. They were friends, yes, but it was obvious she was missing years of information about him. She didn't know that he liked to use a raclette grill or that he had an ailing grandmother or what major events had happened to him in the past year, two years, three years, etc.

"Want some air?" he asked once he was done, and she found herself on Takeru's balcony.

Like the rest of his flat, it was barren. He leaned out of the railing, the wineglass he had brought outside dangling from his hand. She noticed that he had very pretty hands with long fingers—wait, what was she even thinking? She was having crazy thoughts.

She turned her attention from him to the scenario in front of them instead. It was a clear day, a light breeze relieving them of the summer humidity. He lived on a quiet street, so the only sounds of life she could hear where the birds chirping from the trees nearby. She took another glance at him. He was gazing out, and she made note of how the wind blew against his hair and the folds of his white t-shirt.

He turned around to look at her, and she turned away, suddenly embarrassed that he had caught her staring. He didn't bring any attention to it.

"Cheers," he said, clinking his glass against hers. She pretended to take a sip while he took a real one. He took a step closer to her, then another. She felt her heart beat a little faster with anticipation, but then he suddenly sat down on the floor.

She looked down at him.

He cocked his head, looking at her innocently. He patted the space beside him, indicating for her to sit down too. His arm brushed against hers as she did. It was warm from the sun. She remembered he burned easily. She looked at it for signs of colour, though they hadn't even been out for a minute. She was just distracting herself with nonsensical thoughts. She finally took a sip of her wine.

"Hikari," he said suddenly. She looked up and saw he wasn't looking at her. He was staring off into nothing, for what was directly in front of them was just a wall. "Do you remember my last night before I moved to Paris? We sat outside and talked—just like this."

They were eighteen again. She could recall herself holding back tears, Takeru fumbling over his words.

"It's like déjà vu," she agreed. He finally turned to look at her.

It wasn't. Back then, she had found him cute in an endearing way. This time around, it was a different feeling. The way he looked at her made her feel happy and nervous at the same time.

She wondered if her alcohol tolerance was truly so weak that her tiny sips had somehow altered her sensibility.

"I really hated myself after that night," he said to her almost robotically.

"Why?"

Takeru had once again placed that stoic expression of his on his face. It was such a contrast to how she knew him that it was still something she was trying to get used to seeing. The sun was in his eyes, his pupils constricted to the point she could only see blue. His hair, which had gone ashier since they were younger, once again shone its golden hue.

"I almost confessed to you then, but I decided against it because it wouldn't have made a difference. I was still going to France." He was staring straight at her. "Things could have been different if I had refused to go, don't you think?"

He was the one putting himself out there, but why was she the one who felt exposed?

"I don't know what to say, Takeru."

"You don't need to say anything. I'm not looking for a response. I'm just being open." He looked down at his glass, drank another sip. "My brother always did whatever he wanted, but I was always the well-mannered one. I still am. I would have never said no when I knew my family needed me."

"Because you're kind," she said to him, gently.

The right side of his lips turned upwards, and he laughed hollowly. "That isn't true."

"It's true. Everyone thinks you're nice, Takeru." He didn't say anything. She nudged him with her shoulder. "What's wrong? I like nice guys."

"Do you?" he asked. It was the tone that didn't sit well with her. He sounded like he was mocking her, though she had no idea why. "I guess I'm pretty nice, but I'm not _that_ nice."

She tried to lighten the mood, but he wouldn't return her playful glance. "Takeru, you're one of the nicest guys I know. I can't think of a single time you weren't, can you?"

"I can think of a thousand." He looked at her with a blank stare, no emotion in his voice as he said, "There was a time I was extremely bitter towards you."

She felt her breath catch at her throat, forgetting how to breathe with the sudden revelation. She had never known this.

"Why? What did I do?"

She couldn't even tell whether he was blinking for he as staring at her so intently. His gaze was neither harsh nor soft, the indifference not matching his persona. It was disconcerting the way he looked at her, she waiting for an answer while he construed his thoughts into words. For looking so intense, his reply was awfully succinct.

"Because you never loved me."

His voice was as calm as ever, yet the quiet words sliced through the air like a sharp knife.

There was a long, uncomfortable pause. She expected him to break it, but he didn't give her that courtesy. She realised she had been wrong to doubt herself. He was mocking her. She didn't know how to feel about that.

"You never said anything," she said to him quietly.

"But you knew."

He was neither accusatory nor aggressive, but regardless she felt like she had wronged him. She wondered if she should apologise.

"It didn't matter anyway," he continued. "I didn't need your confirmation to know that I wasn't good enough for you."

It was silent again. He polished off his wine. She'd only had a sip of hers. She felt uneasy. Why did she suddenly feel like rubbish, while he sat emotionless? She looked at him, even though he wasn't really looking at her. She wanted him to look at her too.

"Anyway, it was a long time ago. I was just a kid." He set his wineglass aside and finally gave her that pleasant, even smile of his. "Sorry, I'm being a little rude. Don't read too much into it, Hikari."

She wasn't ready to let it go, and she was almost annoyed that he would think this was okay. She was shocked to know that he was bitter towards her when she had always thought there had been nothing wrong with their dynamic. She told him this. Unlike her, he showed no sign of discomfort.

"Maybe 'bitter' is too strong of a word," he admitted. "I loved my childhood with you very much, Hikari."

She couldn't help but notice that he kept talking about it in past tense.

"When I was in France, every time I thought of you, by chance or because something didn't work out, the question would always replay in my head." He looked at her, perfectly concealing any emotion though his words were laced with them. "Even if you didn't like me back, wasn't there a part of you that thought that too? Even for a moment?"

She looked down at her wineglass, swirling the liquid to distract herself. She had always been bad at expressing herself. She always hid, but she felt like she had to be honest when Takeru was being so open with her. "Of course I have, Takeru."

He didn't respond. She wondered if he wanted her to elaborate, but she wouldn't.

"Why are you saying all of this to me now? Is this why you invited me over?"

"No, I invited you over because my food was expiring."

She thought he was trying to be funny and forced herself to laugh, but he didn't laugh back.

"I wasn't planning on saying any of this, but sitting here just reminded me how much I've just always regretted it. I still regret it, but it doesn't matter what happened back then anyway."

"No?"

He was looking at her with that same blank expression. She had previously found him a bit easy to read, but age and perhaps a different culture had changed him. So many things about him had stayed the same, but in other ways he seemed so different.

"No," he confirmed, moving forward, "because even if you didn't back then, I can tell you like me now."

The shock of his declaration on her behalf hadn't even formed when she felt his lips on hers. She had often thought of what it would be like to kiss Takeru, especially more recently.

She had always thought him gentle and benevolent, but this was the opposite of that. She felt that whatever self-control he had been containing had suddenly reached a boiling point. He was almost rough, his hands on her neck as he intensified the kiss and pushed his body closer to hers.

Her mind was rushing at light speed, trying to internalise what was happening, but her body moved without consideration. She reached for him too, had just melted into it when he suddenly pulled away.

Confused, she opened her eyes to look into his own. She had never seen his eyes look so large, and he was failing to suppress how shocked he looked. It was a far cry from how calm and collected he had appeared up to this point.

"Oh, my God. I'm sorry," he said quickly, backing up another step, nearly tripping over himself. His face was red, his sleeve at his lips as she watched him use it to wipe her away. "Hikari, I'm so sorry."

She was confused. Had she given off some sign?

"I shouldn't be doing this. You've been drinking, and I'm—Hikari, I'm so sorry."

He stood up, looking so abashed though she wasn't quite sure why. She stood up too, trying to calm him. He was shaking.

"Takeru, it's not a big deal."

"No, you'll hate me for it later."

She watched as he turned around and headed back inside, empty glass in hand. She supposed he didn't _have_ to look at her for something as simple as walking indoors, but she couldn't help but feel disappointed anyway.

She felt like he needed some time, so she stood awkwardly at his balcony for a few minutes before heading in again. He was waiting for her with that gentle look on his face. His face had gone back to its natural colour.

"I'm sorry," he said again, sounding more tranquil.

Now she was the one who was reddening, embarrassed that he was so apologetic when she had not seen the harm.

He reached out to take the wineglass in her hand, then set it on his counter next to his own. Their fingers touched. "I don't know what came over me just now. I shouldn't have made a move on you. I'm sorry."

"I wasn't offended," she said to him, quietly. "You're making it sound like it was some sort of huge mistake, but I wasn't thinking that at all."

"Hikari." If he was trying to maintain a passive stance, he was failing now. "I meant what I said. I've waited my entire life for you to show any sort of interest in me. I'm not going to mess it up by kissing you when you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk, and you aren't messing up," she said, feeling braver now that she knew how he felt.

She stepped forward, landing on her toes as she reached up to kiss him again. He was probably 20 centimetres taller than her, so it was difficult to match his height without him leaning down too. It didn't help that he stood still, not even attempting to meet her halfway. She was more pressing her lips to his than actually kissing.

"I move back to France in two months, you know," he said instead as she stood back on level with her height. His arms hadn't left his side. He hadn't moved at all.

She looked up at him. He was trying to appear relaxed, though there was the faintest trace of sadness in those expressive eyes of his as she was reminded again that his time here was temporary.

"If I fall for you again, what will you do then, Hikari?"

She didn't say anything. He turned his head to the side, and though he was trying to be discreet, she saw him once again wipe his lips against his sleeve.

He hadn't rejected her, but she felt rejected anyway. She thought of telling him this but didn't, not wanting to look desperate.

He wasn't saying anything either, and for the first time, she felt truly uncomfortable being around him. He must have felt it too.

He attempted to salvage the situation by offering to watch a film, but she declined and said she ought to head home. She made up some excuse about Miyako, but she was sure he saw through her lie. Maybe he wanted to believe it too, because to her disappointment, he sent her off without making an attempt to keep her there.

* * *

29 February 2020

I find myself the most motivated to update whenever I visit Japan. Honourable mention to my lovely boyfriend who doesn't know Japanese yet still watched Kizuna with me and tried not to judge my embarrassing reactions. I won't give spoilers, but there is one part that I am sure stood out for everyone.


	5. Chapter 5: Konran (Confusion)

**Serendipity  
Chapter 5: Konran (Confusion)**

She couldn't stop thinking about him. At first, she had replayed the kiss and Takeru's reaction over and over in her head. She had imagined him calling her the next day. They would talk things through. Perhaps they would laugh and play it off, saying they were better off as friends. Or, perhaps they would try to give dating a go, fulfilling a fancy of their youth.

She had flipflopped between both scenarios in her head. Did she even like him, or was this just an attempt to reconciliate old, suppressed feelings? She wasn't exactly sure, but it didn't matter.

In the end, neither of those happened. He didn't ring her the next day.

In an instant, her thoughts transformed from replaying what had happened to whether she had offended him somehow. Did she really seem like such a goody-two-shoes that Takeru thought she would judge him for kissing her? Or was she such a terrible kisser that he had been turned off?

He didn't ring her the following day either. Or the next.

Did he want nothing to do with her anymore? She thought of texting him first, but she had somehow grown too self-conscious to do even that. What if he thought she was clingy and obsessive? Was she clingy and obsessive?

She reached a point that she could no longer differentiate reality from imagination.

She considered herself a master at internalising her feelings, though she knew she wasn't necessarily the best at hiding them. Even though she hadn't said anything, Miyako noticed something was wrong with her, which was confirmed when she came home with a bottle of wine and asked to catch up. A glass of wine later, Hikari was ready to open up.

"Takeru kissed me."

Miyako, a glass ahead of her, shrieked. "_WHAT?!_ When did this happen?!"

"Three days ago."

She shrieked again. "Hikari! How have you been living with me for three days without ever mentioning that?! I don't understand how that's even possible! You should have told me the moment it happened! Hikari, I _must_ tell Ken! _Please_ tell me I can tell him! How was it? Did you like it? Are you guys together now?!"

"Don't tell Ken!" Hikari squealed, feeling instant regret. "Please don't tell anyone. He hated it."

"What do you mean he hated it?!" Miyako demanded, still shouting.

She was embarrassed to relive it, and she was sure Miyako would tell Ken regardless of anything she said, but she told her anyway. She told her how it seemed Takeru had been into her, that the timing had felt right, that he had confessed how much he used to have liked her, that he had made the first move—and then he had pulled away, looking mortified. She wasn't sure if she was remembering his expression correctly, or whether her mind had transformed it to be something much worse than it was, but in her recollection she remembered him looking disgusted and turned off.

"You're exaggerating," Miyako turned down defiantly. "We all saw Takeru at Mimi's. He's in love with you!"

"He isn't. You didn't see his face."

In her memory, his twisted face of horror reappeared. Maybe her memory's depiction wasn't entirely accurate, and perhaps her paranoia was exaggerating the truth, but the underlying theme wasn't something she had imagined.

He had regretted it.

Whatever nuances in the details were inaccurate, that much she knew was a fact.

"Have you guys talked since then?"

Hikari shook her head no. "He hasn't said anything for three days."

"Just text him first." Without saying anything, Miyako read her mind and rolled her eyes. "Hikari, since when are you so dramatic? Just because he doesn't talk to you on a daily basis doesn't mean he's fallen out of love with you. It's _Takeru_. He isn't some random guy you don't know. Just text him!"

Hikari didn't want to talk about it anymore, so Miyako let her change the topic to how her row with Ken was coming along. Hikari did her best to listen and support her friend, though her mind was too preoccupied.

As she lied down for bed, she decided Miyako was right. She shouldn't feel embarrassed to text him first. She wrote and rewrote a message to him, reading it over and over again to make sure it sounded as detached and noncommittal as possible.

She settled with _"Miyako and Ken had an argument."_

She regretted it as soon as it had sent, but she turned her phone over and tried to go to sleep. She hadn't realised it before, but now that it was gone, she couldn't help but take notice. Ever since he had come back, she had been in constant communication with him—more than anyone else in her contacts. She had grown used to the frequent texts, the updates on trivial events passing through their days, the messages that were about nothing yet could put her in the best of moods.

However, it had now been over three days since she last heard from him.

She replayed the kiss in her head again as she drifted off to sleep. She wondered if she had made a mistake, whether he felt he had made one too.

When she awoke in the morning, Takeru hadn't messaged her back, though the app indicated that he had read it.

* * *

Her brother reached out to her monthly to treat her to a meal. What had started as a request by their parents to see each other more often had now become a tradition. Though she often saw him more than this, she looked forward to these monthly dinners with him.

Today, he pulled up to her school with Sora in the passenger seat.

"Sorry," he said as she got in the back. "She's obsessed with me."

Sora glared at him. "To clarify, I ran into him in the hallway," she turned to poke him on the shoulder, "and _you_ asked _me_ to tag along."

"Because I know you're obsessed with me," Taichi explained, which irritated her even more. He grinned at Hikari through the rear-view mirror. "What are you in the mood to eat?"

This was a recurring battle. Neither she nor Taichi were very picky eaters, so they often didn't have a preference of where to go.

Today, however, it seemed her brother did. In an instant, he and Sora were arguing over dinner when she felt her phone buzz.

She looked at it, and she wished she didn't get so excited seeing who it was from. Takeru's name flashed on the screen. She opened it immediately.

"_Really? What were they arguing about?"_ his message read.

She scrolled up to see that she had last told him that Miyako and Ken had had a row. She had texted him two nights ago, but it didn't even matter because he had finally responded.

All of the doubt that had been building up over the last few days disappeared the moment she read it. She read it over and over again.

"_Do you have any plans for the weekend?"_ came a second.

She wanted to respond right away. She wanted to tell him that she was out for dinner with her brother and Sora, that they hadn't even gotten to the restaurant yet, so if he was free, he should join them.

Instead, she put her phone away. She was being too excited over nothing, but inside she was happy that it wasn't that Takeru was planning to never talk to her again.

"Hikari," Taichi said, suddenly turning to her. "You can be our tiebreaker. Sora wants to get inconvenient monjayaki _all_ the way in Tsukishima, whereas I want to go to yakiniku because it's just around the corner from here and is also more delicious. Don't you think my choice makes more sense?"

"You can't ask it like that," Sora hissed.

Hikari broke the tie by siding with her brother.

He smirked smugly at Sora, who looked annoyed by his gloating but accepted her loss. She turned around in her seat.

"You look so happy," she pointed out.

Hikari jumped a little.

Probably, Miyako had told Sora all about Takeru, but she was choosing not to say anything in front of her brother. She felt embarrassed that she was making herself so obvious by looking so pleased.

"I am happy," Hikari replied. "I think it's nice that you two are so close. I wish I had a friendship as lasting as the two of you have."

"It's not that great," Taichi joked, avoiding a sudden swipe from Sora. "Jesus, Sora, I'm driving. Can you not?"

"You and Miyako have been friends for a really long time too," Sora reminded her.

This was true, but it was also different. It was different because Taichi and Sora reminded her of herself and Takeru.

"Miyako thinks you two are going to end up dating," Hikari told them. This wasn't news to either of them. A lot of people often said the same thing, especially because they lived in the same building and were always together.

"Yeah right," Taichi answered immediately. "That'll never happen. I'm too fun, young, and good-looking to date Sora."

Sora shot him an annoyed look.

"What?" he asked innocently. "Everyone knows your type are boring old men who are uglier than me."

"First of all, that isn't my type. Don't mischaracterise me. Also, it has nothing to do with the way you look. You would actually drive me crazy."

"_I'd_ drive _you_ crazy?" he questioned back. "You just tried to make me pay a toll to eat monjayaki!"

"If you drive Hikari back home, you'll have to pay the toll anyway!"

"I'll pay a toll to drive my sister back, but I'm not going to pay a toll to eat monjayaki. That's just dumb."

"It's the _same_ _toll_, Taichi. You're paying it regardless!"

"I can take the metro," Hikari offered.

"Don't be ridiculous," Taichi shot down. "Sora's just mad because I revealed to you that she has bad taste in men."

Sora ignored him. "Why the sudden interest, Hikari?"

Hikari shook her head to indicate there was no reason.

"Is it because of Takeru?" Sora continued.

"N-no!" Hikari stuttered, flustered.

She caught her brother rolling his eyes from the rear-view mirror, though he didn't say anything. She noticed that unlike herself, who got awkward whenever someone asked about her and Takeru, Taichi and Sora always seemed perfectly comfortable when anyone asked them.

"This friendship isn't that great because you won't believe the number of girls who have rejected me because they think I have something going on with you," Taichi offered lowly.

"They'll reject you without my help anyway."

"But I still keep you around because you feed me," Taichi added with a grin.

"And you always forget to bring my dishes back to me! Everything I own is in your flat, Taichi!"

"Relax! We live across the hall from each other. I can give it back to you whenever you want, or if you need them so much, just come and get them."

"I shouldn't have to go get them. It's common courtesy to give people their things back!"

Hikari smiled softly watching them argue.

She didn't actually know the details of their friendship, but she did know there was a time that Sora liked her brother, but he didn't like her. Then there was a time Taichi liked Sora, but she didn't like him. They eventually settled on just being friends, but people had been putting them together since they were prepubescent. It wasn't too far from her and Takeru.

As Taichi and Sora bickered, she turned on her mobile again to text Takeru back.

"_I'm about to have dinner with my brother and Sora,"_ she texted him, stopping herself short of inviting him, hoping he would try to invite himself.

He was quick to respond. _"That sounds fun!"_

She waited for a second text. It didn't come.

"_How is your day?"_ she asked.

This time, it took him a few minutes to get back to her. Long, he said. He was still at work. They had a short, superficial conversation where he told her he was working late recently to work on a new story, but by the time they had pulled into the restaurant, their dialogue had fizzled out.

More than that, she noticed he didn't actually ask to see her again.

Taichi opened the car door for her, indicating for her to get out. He and Sora had agreed to get monjayaki tomorrow if she would pay the toll. Did she want to join too?

* * *

25 March 2020


	6. Chapter 6: Yuujou (Friendship)

**Serendipity  
Chapter 6: Yuujou (Friendship)**

She wouldn't see him for another week. At first, she had waited to see when he would ask her, but when the invitation never came, she finally asked him. She had been nervous, filling her head with thoughts that he didn't want to see her anymore, but he readily agreed and even said he missed her. It struck her as bizarre that he would go from wanting to see her daily to barely reaching out for two weeks. She didn't want to sound clingy, but it was not possible for her to think it wasn't because of their kiss, whether Takeru felt conflicted or embarrassed or something else entirely.

She spent too long in the teacher's lounge at school getting ready when she should have instead been planning her classes. One of her colleagues even called her out for it, asking whether she was getting ready for a date. Hikari explained she was just seeing a friend, which was true, but it was also true that she had put in much more effort than usual on her appearance. She made sure to put on her most flattering outfit that morning, and where she usually hoped for the best that her makeup and perfume would last all day, today she had packed them in her bag for a pre-dinner touch-up.

He always looked so put together. She was just matching him.

As she reached their meeting point, she saw him wave his arm above his head to get her attention.

"Hi, I've missed you," he greeted when she approached him. "You look nice."

He didn't kiss the air around her cheeks this time either. Was it on purpose, or had he grown out of the habit?

She had expected some level of awkwardness, but there was none. The thing about Takeru was that he was so friendly and easy-going that everything she ever doubted while he was gone disappeared the moment they met up again.

She had told herself she wouldn't comment on how long it had been since they had last seen each other, but it only took Takeru a few seconds to bring it up.

He apologised for being MIA on her. Work had been hectic, and he was practically sleeping at his office. She felt a little embarrassed, wondering if it was written plainly on her face that she had missed him, and therefore he assumed she required an explanation.

They spent dinner catching up, Takeru peppering her questions about what had happened in her life since they last saw each other. In spite of his lack of attempt at trying to speak to her the past two weeks, he seemed engrossed in every detail now. It was only once they had finished eating that she realised he hadn't yet really told her anything about himself.

He suggested they continue the conversation at a bar close to the restaurant that his colleague had recommended, and she was glad he wasn't just trying to call it a short night. She pretended not to notice that he stood one step closer to her than he usually did as they walked to the next destination, or that he scooted his barstool one step closer when they were seated, or that he touched her shoulder and leaned in when they spoke, as if it were necessary in order to hear each other.

He laughed, nudging her arm as she ordered a non-alcoholic drink.

"It's a Friday night. Let loose a little, Hikari."

She teased him back, joking that he seemed to enjoy alcohol a little too much. He ordered the same thing as her—a lemonade—to prove her wrong, but once they finished those, he ordered highballs for them both.

She hadn't brought up the kiss all night, but within minutes the alcohol made her braver.

"I thought you were avoiding me," she admitted.

He looked at her as if he didn't have a clue what she was talking about. "Why would I be avoiding you?"

"Because…" she sputtered, feeling like he was pretending not to know on purpose. "You know…!"

He smiled warmly but didn't answer, instead taking another sip of his drink.

"Because you kissed me," she said to him, relieved that the dim lighting of the bar concealed the colour of her face.

"I wasn't avoiding you," he said calmly in response. He lifted his glass to hers. "Cheers?"

_Don't lie to me,_ she wanted to say, but she didn't. Instead, she held up her glass to his, telling herself that it wasn't worth pushing for further discussion just because of an unsatisfying conclusion.

She pretended not to notice as his hand touched the small of her back, pushing her closer to him as he clinked their glasses together. She tried not to look at him directly but stole a quick glance. Despite what appeared to be advances to her, the expression on his face remained so benevolent that she thought she had to have been mistaking his gestures as flirting.

What was Takeru thinking?

"Eh?"

Takeru suddenly looked surprised, his arm dropping back to his side.

"What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled.

"One moment," he told her as he got up and left her side to make his way through the bar. Her gaze followed his trail, and she too became surprised as she watched Takeru approach Yamato's figure. She couldn't remember the last time she she had seen him. Ever since he moved away for work, he was rarely in Tokyo.

She thought perhaps the brothers had intended to meet, but seeing Yamato's equally confused face made it clear that they hadn't planned on running into each other. Another person hit Takeru on the back. She guessed he was Yamato's friend.

She was slightly taken aback when Takeru pointed to her direction, and Yamato suddenly made eye contact with her. He looked even more surprised and didn't acknowledge her, even though she waved at him. She didn't take offence to this. Yamato was Takeru's brother and a good friend to her brother, but she had always found him a bit intimidating and difficult to read. Takeru and her brother were the type of people who could talk to anyone, but she and Yamato weren't big talkers. It wasn't awkward as much as it was that they sometimes had nothing to say.

Takeru chatted with the pair for less than minute, but it felt long when she was sitting by herself. Finally, the three of them walked back to the area where she was seated. Yamato gave Hikari a small nod to indicate he noted her presence, then immediately turned to Takeru.

"Are you guys out on a date?" he asked him in that cool, baritone voice of his.

"No," Takeru answered easily. "We're just out."

Yamato raised an eyebrow. Takeru was smiling as if he didn't notice Yamato's change in demeanour. Yamato turned to Hikari. She felt judged, though she wasn't sure why.

"Let me talk to you for a second," Yamato said, plucking Takeru out of his stool with a force that nearly made him trip over himself.

Hikari watched Takeru be dragged away, then turned to see Yamato's friend looking off in the same direction. He turned to face her, seemingly friendly.

"Imagine running into Yamato's brother here," he said to her. "It's my first time meeting him. They look alike, no?"

She wanted to say no, but instead she said yes to agree with him. She didn't correct him when he said they looked like a cute couple either.

She was too preoccupied watching the brothers at the other end of the bar. Yamato's back was to her, Takeru looking at him with a placid expression. His lips weren't moving, which indicated Yamato was the one speaking, but she suddenly caught his eye, and he gave her a wink. Yamato turned around to see what had distracted him, and Hikari could see that he didn't share Takeru's light expression. He grabbed Takeru and moved him further into the bar so that she could no longer see him.

She tried to engage in small talk with Yamato's friend, who was actually quite nice, but she couldn't focus when all she could think about was that they had still not come back.

She excused herself and went to find them, which proved to be quite easy. She found them in an annex at the corner of the bar that was separated from the rest of the space with a partition. She had just walked up to it when she realised they were arguing.

"Can we stop? This is unnecessary." Takeru seemed annoyed, though his tone was calm.

"'Unnecessary'?" Yamato repeated, his tone the opposite of Takeru's. "You call this unnecessary?"

"I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't," came Yamato's stern reply.

To her surprise, Takeru matched Yamato's aggression. "Yes, I do."

She felt like she was eavesdropping, which hadn't been her intention, so she stepped forward. "Am I interrupting…?"

She regretted it instantly seeing Yamato and Takeru scramble to brush things off, as now they gave her reason to want to know exactly what they had been talking about.

"It's nothing," Takeru said to her. He looked composed again. He put a hand to her shoulder and guided her back.

She felt the tension between the brothers, cemented even further when Takeru suddenly suggested to Hikari to leave. Yamato looked alert the moment he asked and spoke before Hikari even had the chance to respond.

"Actually, can I crash with you?" Yamato asked. "I don't want to go all the way back to Tsukuba tonight."

Takeru seemed unfazed. "Sure. Let me take Hikari home first."

"Hikari's from Tokyo. She knows her way back better than we do."

"We're from Tokyo too," Takeru countered calmly.

"Odaiba is so far away. It'll take you forever to get back, and I want to leave soon."

He took his keys from his pocket and gave them to his brother. "Here. You can go first."

"I don't know your address."

"I'll text it to you."

Yamato glared, unable to think of another excuse.

"I can go home by myself, Takeru," she offered, attempting to diffuse the situation.

"I want to take you home," he said defiantly, ignoring his brother. He turned to look at Yamato's friend. "It was nice to meet you. Have a good night, you two."

Yamato's friend seemed unaffected by the tension. Hikari quickly excused herself too and followed Takeru out of the bar. She wanted to ask him what had happened but felt it inappropriate. Takeru didn't offer anything either, but all traces of his annoyance had disappeared once they had stepped outside.

He hailed a cab. They lived in opposite directions, so really it didn't make sense for him to take her back. She wanted to point this out to him, but she was sure he already knew, and besides she did admittedly want to spend more time with him.

Throughout the ride, his phone buzzed incessantly, and as he went to put it on silent, she glanced at the screen and saw Yamato's name pop up several times. He noticed her looking at his phone and slipped it in his pocket without saying a word. She immediately reprimanded herself for looking so nosy.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I wasn't trying to look at it."

"It's all right," he said good-naturedly.

She still felt like she shouldn't ask, but she was so curious. He didn't give her the opportunity though, changing the subject to something they had talked about much earlier in the night and carrying that conversation until they pulled up to her flat.

"Thanks for taking me home," she said, opening the car door. "Let me know how much I owe you."

She got out, expecting him to continue on his journey home. She thought he had just gone the distance to be a nice guy, but he got out too. She watched in confusion as the taxi driver drove away, then looked to him.

"Hikari," he said, smiling at her still. "Do you mind if I go up?"

* * *

Miyako wasn't home.

She felt her heart race as she flicked on the light switch, wondering what Takeru was thinking. It was just two weeks earlier that he was apologising profusely for kissing her, and now he was inviting himself into her home.

Now that she had been to Takeru's spotless flat, she thought hers could use a bit of tidying. She suddenly thought she owned too many things, wondered if Takeru thought that too.

Most items belonged to Miyako. Hikari was a minimalist, but Miyako enjoyed decorating their flat with eclectic tchotchkes. Memories of Miyako's life were etched throughout their shared space, whereas pretty much everything Hikari owned was packed neatly into her room.

It seemed to be a trend with those growing up that they would want to leave their childhood homes. Everyone else had moved away from Odaiba but her. The location wasn't particularly convenient for either her or Miyako to get to work, and to be fair Miyako was rarely home, but she rather enjoyed being here. She was comfortable with her surroundings, and she could visit her parents frequently.

It was like she had never left. Meanwhile, she couldn't help but compare, Takeru had moved the farthest away. He had gone to another country.

She made him tea using her own tea leaves but Miyako's colourful, mismatching tea set that she had bought in her travels.

She set the teacup in front of him, and he thanked her but didn't touch it. She didn't know whether she should sit next to him on the couch or sit on the floor across the coffee table. She suddenly remembered that the last time he had come here, he had stood against the wall. She hadn't realised it until just now. Perhaps she should as well.

He scooted to the right to make room for her on the couch, making the decision for her. She sat down.

She didn't feel uncomfortable, but a silence loomed between them. She reached for her tea, taking a sip. It was zaracha, his favourite. He had first introduced the tea to her by bringing it back whenever he visited Shimane. To this day, she still associated it with him.

"It's zaracha," she told him.

He finally took a sip too. "My favourite."

It was the way he had said it. His warm voice and faint smile that made her uncertainties disappear. They were insecurities that hadn't even been there before. They had always been comfortable around each other, and even if she couldn't read him as well as before, she shouldn't have to feel weird to ask him anything.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but can I ask you what you and Yamato were talking about?" she asked quietly.

She expected him to pause or look edgy, but his expression didn't change.

"I don't mind telling you," Takeru offered pleasantly before bluntly revealing, "My brother thinks it's a bad idea for me to pursue you."

His honesty took Hikari by surprise. She tried not to sound offended. "Oh…"

"It's not you," Takeru clarified. "He just worries. You know how big brothers are."

Hikari thought back to Taichi, who was always far more overbearing than Yamato had ever been to Takeru.

She usually cared a lot what her brother thought. His opinions influenced her own, the same way Yamato's probably affected Takeru's in some way. That being said, she never really fought back whenever Taichi scolded her, but she could still remember the annoyed grimace Takeru had given Yamato back at the bar.

"Does that mean you're pursuing me?" she asked him.

He smiled lightly at her. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No, we haven't seen each other in nearly two weeks," she scolded, hiding the truth behind a joking tone.

"Before that, we hadn't seen each other in ten years," he reminded her. "But I'm sorry I didn't call you."

"You said you weren't avoiding me, but you were," she said to him, feeling braver. She had wanted to let it go, but she couldn't. "And don't lie and say you weren't, Takeru."

He looked guilty, chuckling nervously. "Maybe I was a little bit."

"Had I made you uncomfortable?"

"No, of course not," he blurted, surprised. "That wasn't it at all. I was just—I needed time to think is all."

She didn't say anything and instead watched as his alarmed stance disappeared, replaced again with that solemn one. She wanted him to explain without her needing to ask him to do so, and he eventually caved.

"The reason I never asked you out is because I thought if anything were to happen, even if you were to say yes to me in school, if we were ever to break up, I could potentially lose you as a friend," he admitted. "I thought it wasn't worth that risk, no matter how much I wanted you."

She thought of herself more quiet than shy, so she didn't know why he brought out that side of her or why it was happening so often. He had always been someone who had been so easy for her to talk to. Perhaps it was because he was so open now. He now said things they had both previously thought but had never actually said aloud.

He placed his hand against her cheek. His hand was warm—and soft. It matched his sincere expression.

"But I wanted you so much back then, Hikari. I still want you."

She wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to do so, instead watching as he made his move.

His fingers held her by the chin, using minimal force to bring her closer to him. Her heart thumped against her chest as he also leaned forward. She felt the ends of his fringe brush against her forehead, his other hand moving to the nape of her neck, slipping into her hair.

"Can I have you?" he asked, not waiting for an answer as he leaned in to close the gap between them.

She welcomed his touch, parting her lips to make space for his. It wasn't like last time, which had happened so quickly and in the moment so that neither had time to really think about it. This was slower and more rhythmic, thought out beforehand. It was how she had always imagined it would feel like kissing him.

She expected him to part, but he didn't, and she was soon hit with the revelation that Takeru was not only looking for a kiss this time, but something far more intimate, confirmed when she felt his hand drop from her neck down her back.

She pulled away first, expecting to see a primeval man but instead seeing the gentle, handsome face of Takeru, looking back at her with a slight upturn of his lips. His expression looked so innocent, despite he obviously having other thoughts. She smiled back at him, and he closed in again.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her again, surprised by her own lack of willpower. Some part of her told her to stop and to take things one step at a time, but Takeru was already biting her lip, and she exhaled into his mouth as he got up from the couch, pulling her up with him. She looked up at his stature, not remembering him being so tall, but perhaps she had just never been so close to him before. He lowered his spine to be closer to her height, kissed her again, said something to her about her bedroom, led her there before she had a chance to really think it through.

* * *

17 April 2020


	7. Chapter 7: Yami (The Dark)

**Serendipity  
Chapter 7: Yami (The Dark)**

The dark cloak of the night contrasted with the white ceiling of Hikari's bedroom, the vast, open space making the perfect canvas for his mind to paint an image of her. He shut his eyes, but it made no difference as her reflection was still imprinted on his eyelids.

Physically, he found she had changed very little from their youth. What had actually changed was in fact his perception.

The minky brown hair that he had once found fascinating for being shorter than his now brought his attention to the nape of her neck. The crimson eyes that he had once noted for their interesting colour now beckoned him to try to get closer. The petite frame that he had once wanted to protect now needed protection from him.

_Who do I think I am? _

He had always put her on an untouchable pedestal. She was too good for him in every way, no matter how he thought about it.

Hikari didn't love him, and she never would. He knew this. She would never love him the way he had always loved her. He knew this too. She deserved someone far better than him, and it was only a matter of time before she too would realise it and leave him. He knew all of this better than anyone else, but he decided he didn't care, because all of those future repentances combined couldn't possibly negate the bliss he felt now.

Even if she herself didn't know it yet, he already knew she was hypnotised momentarily by either his memory or his illusion. He was willing to give her either or both, and perhaps if he tried hard enough, he could also hypnotise himself to pretend all of this was okay.

_It isn't. This isn't right._

Beside him, he could feel her breathing steadily in her sleep. His arm was under her bare shoulders, and he visualised his touch decaying the very flesh of her skin. He felt like he had contaminated her with his own hideous imperfections, marked a scar on her that would never go away.

Her name meant light, but she was a darkness that enveloped him no matter where he went. She was a poison he knew would kill him, but he didn't care. He basked in it, practically getting on his knees and begging her to kill him faster. Make it more painful, more insufferable, more agonising. Make it whatever you want, Hikari, because after all this time, you finally like me.

Nothing else seemed to matter, though obviously he knew it did. He was supposed to be the one to control himself for her sake. Since when had he become so selfish? There was an unbearable guilt that swept through him, and his brother's exasperated voice overtook his own.

_Takeru, what are you doing?!_

He opened his eyes again, and the voice in his head disappeared with the sudden use of his more dominant sense. He turned to confirm whether she was actually there, checking each of her delicate, flawless features. He resisted the urge to kiss her again, not wanting to disturb her sleep but so desperately wanting to remember how she had felt beneath him.

He risked only covering her with the duvet, then rested his arm over her now-concealed body. The night was a bit chilly, and he had always been concerned for her immune system that seemed so weak compared to his own. In her sleep, she stirred just enough to subconsciously mould into his embrace. The fact that she would come to him instead of he chasing for her felt too much like a dream to be real.

It was impossible, but she liked him.

Nothing made sense, but she finally liked him.

Whether this was a dream or a nightmare, he hoped he would never have to wake up to the awful reality that awaited him.

More than that, he hoped she wouldn't have to either.

* * *

1 May 2020

After 12 years, this broke my shortest chapter record, which was previously held by _A Losing Game_: Chapter 4.

Thank you, ありがとうございます y gracias for the reviews! (My boyfriend and I are attempting to learn Spanish while on lockdown, but it is much more difficult than I imagined…)


	8. Chapter 8: Crêpe

**Serendipity  
Chapter 8: Crêpe**

He was staring at the ceiling when she woke up. She wondered what he was thinking about, unable to interrupt him because he seemed so immersed in thought.

She had always found his eyes so pretty. In their youth, they were so expressive. They twinkled when excited, widened when surprised, and tore hearts when saddened.

They were still beautiful, but she couldn't help but feel that they had lost some of their lustre over time. Perhaps that was just what happened with age. He was obviously in deep concentration judging by the fact he hadn't noticed that she had woken up, but his eyes looked almost void, endless pools of sapphire blue looking off into nowhere.

She wondered whether he was thinking of her. Perhaps sleeping together had made him get over her already. Why had she done it?

"Good morning," she said to him quietly to let him know she had woken up.

Takeru turned to her with surprise. His darkened eyes lit up at seeing her, his solemn expression replaced with a smile. She knew she hadn't imagined how he had appeared, but perhaps her memory would tell her otherwise when she thought back at it.

"Morning," he said to her, his voice missing the morning croakiness.

"What are you thinking about? You look so serious."

She noticed that he had put his clothes back on and felt exposed. She pulled the covers to her neck, embarrassed for some reason.

He smiled lightly. "Nothing. Just zoning off."

She had always been so adamant about only having physical relationships with those who were actually her boyfriend. She felt like a hypocrite as she laid with Takeru. Technically, they weren't together—were they?

She wasn't even sure.

She should have waited. She could have, had he not disappeared and made her feel like he wasn't actually interested in her.

Her doubts disappeared as he reached over to kiss her softly on her lips. Traces of carnal desire gone, he had gone back to his sweet self. He almost looked shy about it.

His head fell back on her pillow, his cheek pressed against it as he looked to her. His slightly dishevelled bed hair did little to detract from his fresh complexion, his pretty eyes more azure now with the reflection of the morning light against them.

He stretched his arm out, and still self-conscious, she brought her sheet with her as he pulled her into another kiss. She suspected he wanted more, but she rolled off the bed with her sheet still clutched to her body.

"I'm going to change," she told him. "Don't look."

Even she thought what she was saying was nonsense, but he didn't question her and agreed, turning his head opposite of her. As she slipped on new underwear, she peeked to see whether he was looking, but true to his word, he was staring at the wall instead. She wished she could see his expression for reassurance.

She slipped back into the bed when she was done, hugging him from behind. Taking it as permission to turn around again, he faced her. He was grinning, and it made her happy.

* * *

Takeru offered to make crêpes for breakfast while she freshened up. Compared to him, who had woken up looking the same as he always did, she felt she looked unkempt. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and combed her hair before walking out to the kitchen, where she found him standing over her stove.

She stood beside him, peeking to see how it was going. "Teach me how to make it. I want to learn too."

"Sure, it's easy," he agreed. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him as he showed her how. He had already made the batter and struggled to repeat the recipe, stating he only checked for colour and consistency, though he promised he would measure it out for her next time. She watched as he made one, attempted it herself the second time, then took over so that he could also wash too.

It was difficult for her to spread the batter thin enough to actually look like a crêpe but not so thin that it just folded into itself when she tried to flip them. He had made it look so easy. She ate the evidence of her mistakes, leaving the more presentable ones for him.

He didn't take very long, but when he came back out, she saw he had actually showered, hair now damp with a towel around his neck to catch any stray droplets. He complimented her crêpe-making skills, even though she could tell hers didn't look quite the same as his. She would practise.

She let him take over making them again while she looked through her kitchen for spreads they could use. She found some jam and honey. She came back to see his more appealing crêpes lain on top of hers, didn't make a comment on it.

It had been a while since she had last had a boyfriend. She didn't think she had been lonely, but with Takeru's presence, waking up together and making breakfast like this, it made her realise perhaps she had been.

Not that he was her boyfriend.

They ate in a silence that wasn't uncomfortable, but it only highlighted how conscious she was of the unanswered question in the air.

"Takeru," she said first. He looked up, and she felt herself get nervous before he flashed his easy smile. He seemed to wash away all of her insecurities with it each time. She felt lucky that they came so frequently. "How do you feel about last night?"

His pleasant expression didn't change. "What do you mean?"

"You know…" she answered shyly, unable to say it out loud.

He chuckled as he cut into his crêpe with his fork and knife. "Why? What do you want it to mean, Hikari?"

She avoided eye contact and instead looked down at her plate, wishing she could look as blasé as him. "Are we together now?"

She didn't hear an answer, and she wondered whether she had said it too quietly for him to hear. She looked up to see Takeru's fork by his mouth. Without answering, he took the bite, chewed, and swallowed.

"Is that what you want?" he asked her finally.

She felt herself blush, even though she was being silly. It felt to her that he was avoiding answering, but Takeru had essentially confessed the night before. She already knew how he felt. All she had to do was take it.

She opened her mouth to reply, but Takeru spoke first.

"I have to go back to France soon," he reminded her. In a strange way, she felt the colour rise to her face again.

"I know…" she said to him, as if she had thought of that too.

He reached over to put another crêpe on her plate, then stood up slightly in his chair to peck her on the lips. It was the third time that day that he had kissed her, all three times much less sensual than the night before.

"For now, let's enjoy what we have," he told her, sitting back down again.

_But what is it that we have?_ she wanted to ask. Instead, she just nodded to him with a feigned smile that he returned with one of his own.

In reality, she was disappointed by Takeru's answer and the fact that it hadn't actually concluded anything. It sounded to her that he was trying to reject her advances without actually doing so, which was confusing because he had spent the last few weeks telling her how much he had wanted her.

She couldn't express any of this to him, and he looked so unbothered by it that she didn't even want to try. Perhaps she just thought situations through too much. She knew she could do that at times.

They finished eating and cleared the dishes together, and then he told her he ought to get going.

She heard herself asking him to stay.

Miyako always criticised her for being unable to play games. If she liked someone who also liked her, she felt no need to do so.

He seemed to hesitate, and she immediately wondered whether she was acting too desperate and keeping him hostage. Maybe she had misinterpreted everything Takeru had said, and she was scaring him off by being too attached just because they had shared one night together.

Before she could retract her offer though, he agreed, though he still wanted to go to the convenience store for a change of clothes since he was still in yesterday's clothing.

"You can borrow Ken's," Hikari offered. She knew Miyako's wardrobe contained some of her boyfriend's clothes, and he and Takeru were of a similar build.

"It's okay. I'll just get some new ones for myself and keep them here in case I stay the night again."

Again, there was nonchalance in his voice, but his words reassured her that he wasn't looking for a one-time thing. He went to the convenience store and came back not only with a new loungewear but an array of snacks that she quickly recognised were her favourites.

He still remembered from their childhood.

They spent the day watching films, talking, eating again, joking, laughing, cuddling. At first, he wasn't that touchy, but as the day went on, he became more assertive, and as night fell, he spent the night again. And again the day after.

It was Monday morning when he finally had to leave for work, but as he stood by her front door, not really wanting to leave, he suggested that she go to his place after work this time and stay the night there.

"It's much closer to your school than here," he said to convince her.

She nodded shyly, not actually needing much persuasion. "Are you sure you aren't tired of me yet?"

He stared at her, then lowered his neck to kiss her. The peck he had given her Saturday morning had become much more indulgent by Monday. Earlier in the weekend, she had been surprised by how zealous his kissing could be, it not matching her image of him, but by now she had grown used to it.

"That will never happen," he said to her, barely pulling away.

She was the one who drew back to get a better look at him. He looked the same. "You hesitated."

His hands were holding her by the waist, and she felt his grip tighten before he let go and stepped back, looking at her with that look of determination and intent that he had from time-to-time.

"I don't want to mess this up."

She was confused by his answer. "What do you mean? Why do you think you'll mess this up?"

He paused again, and she almost called him out again, but his lips spread to his lovely smile—the one that could make her smile instantly too. She let him scoop her up towards him again.

"Because I am happy, Hikari, and I don't ever want this feeling to go away."

* * *

12 July 2020

Thank you so much everyone for the lovely reviews! x


	9. Chapter 9: Kareshi (Boyfriend)

**Serendipity  
Chapter 9: Kareshi (Boyfriend)**

As time went on, the uncertainties she had placed on herself slowly disappeared, replaced instead by familiarity.

She had held onto the memory of a teenage boy, forgotten that he had matured to an adult in the decade they hadn't seen each other. Change was natural with age, but he was someone she had seen every day for ten years before all but vanishing from her life for another ten. She hadn't seen his gradual development, and therefore he constantly surprised her. She recognised that they now held a different dynamic, and the changes weren't necessarily drastic either, but the subtleties were thrown in there to remind her that he was not the same boy she once knew.

Some were minor. Japanese was his native language, but he often slipped and said something in French, not even realising he had switched. His voice changed, deeper somehow, as he spent evenings on the phone with his office in Paris and weekend afternoons with his grandmother. His phone and laptop keyboard were set to an unfamiliar interface, and while he still loved to read as much as he had, the literature around his flat were more often than not in French and sometimes even English.

She noticed, however, that whenever he was surprised or annoyed, he would switch to Japanese.

Other aspects were less cosmetic. It was in the way he acted. She remembered him as someone cheerful and kind. He still was, but there were times when he became more cryptic. They came abruptly. He sometimes drifted off into space. She would be talking, and he wouldn't be listening. She would ask him something, and he wouldn't answer. And there was his smile. Sometimes, they were genuine, and they made her so happy. Other times, they seemed hollow. Physically, they were the same as any other he gave, but there was also something else too. At first, she thought she was imagining it, but after a while, she knew it couldn't just be in her mind.

Even when she told him about this change in his personality, he seemed dismissive.

"Different how?" he asked.

"I don't know. I can't put my finger on it."

She put her finger to her lips to think, and he leaned over to move it and kiss her.

"Maybe you're more mysterious?" she guessed.

He chuckled. "Am I? Is that bad?"

"No, it's not that. I was just a little surprised."

"I can be whatever you want me to be, Hikari."

"Just be yourself. I like you as you are."

She hadn't meant anything by saying it, but it appeared again. He gave her one of those vacant smiles that were beautiful on the surface but missing something underneath.

"Is that so," he said, more to fill in the conversation than anything else.

They were subtle, but they were there.

But she was growing used to it.

* * *

Hikari had never understood how Miyako could stay at Ken's for weeks on end without coming home, but she found herself doing the same with Takeru.

He stayed at hers during the weekends, and she at his during the weekdays. Over the past two weeks, she had slowly transformed his once sterile flat to be cosier, adding personal flares here and there. She brought life to the monochrome decor and stocked the interior to make it more of a home. They cleared spaces for each other in their respective wardrobes. She had to shuffle her items around a bit to make room for him, but Takeru had only packed enough clothes for two months and had ample space for her belongings in his.

In that regard, she thought they were moving quickly. From the moment they were "together," they hadn't really left each other's side.

On the flipside, she was very conscious of the fact that they still didn't have a label. They hadn't spoken about it again, so she actively avoided saying "boyfriend," "girlfriend," or even "dating," waiting for him to be the one to bring it up next time.

Takeru's flat had an L-shaped couch, which was perfect for both cuddling and relaxing. At the current moment, he was seated at the end of the couch, speaking to his grandmother in rapid French that she couldn't understand. She was sprawled with her neck against the opposite armrest and her feet on his lap, the pink blanket she had brought from home covering her from waist down, partially covering him too. She watched as his mouth produced sounds hers could not and wondered if she should try to learn it for him.

He had placed a hand on her thigh to get her attention. She looked up.

"Do you want to say something to my grandmother?" he asked her.

Hikari was taken by surprise and sat up, confused. From what Takeru had told her, his grandmother didn't know Japanese very well. Evidently, even Yamato had difficulty talking to her.

"Just say hello," he told her, passing the phone. "She can understand that much."

She held the phone to her ear and said her greetings, bowing subconsciously as if she were standing in front of her. On the other end, she could hear the elderly voice of Takeru's grandmother repeat the same thing she had said. Hikari introduced herself as her grandson's friend, asked her how she was doing, wished her good health. When his grandmother responded in French, Hikari realised that she hadn't actually understood her.

Seeing her confused face, Takeru took the phone back, putting it on speakerphone for a second to gauge the conversation before holding it to his ear again, laughing. He spoke to her a few more minutes before hanging up.

"Sorry," he said to her once he had. "I didn't mean to suddenly put you on the spot. I just wanted her to know who you are."

"Really?" she asked shyly. They had spent every waking moment together, aside from work. She hadn't told anyone yet. She had thought he hadn't either.

"Of course. You're both very important to me," he answered. "She's lonely in hospital, but she spends all her time wondering if _I'm_ the one doing all right. Can you believe it?"

"That's what grandmothers do," Hikari said with a soft smile, thinking of her own. When he didn't say anything back, she added, "I think it's nice that you talk to her so often."

"I'd feel guilty otherwise. She's lost her mind since the stroke. She's probably already forgotten that we just had a call, much less that I'm here. I repeat the same thing to her every time I'm on the phone with her, but she thinks I'm still in Paris, not visiting her for some reason."

Hikari watched the same empty look appear on his face.

"She'll be happy when she sees you again," she told him.

Takeru looked at her blankly. "Do you want me to leave, Hikari?"

"No, of course not…! But you said so yourself… You're here temporarily…! So when you go back… you'll get to see her…" She forced herself to smile. "I bet she'll be so happy when she sees you again. You know what, Takeru? I'll be happy for her too!"

Takeru didn't smile back. They were looking at each other, she smiling awkwardly and he not.

"I'm a better grandson than my brother," he said to her at last. "Maybe I left her, but I gave her ten years of my life. My brother gave her nothing."

She removed her legs from his lap and scooted closer to him, took his face in her hands.

"Takeru, you didn't leave her. You can't think of it like that."

She was looking down into his eyes, and he was staring back, his expression blank. She blinked first, and in that instant, he flashed an almost manic smile. He reached up to kiss her, and he was back again.

"I did. I left her, Hikari, because I want to be with you more than I want to take care of her."

She was unsure how she felt that he was roping her in with his own guilt, but her empathy was greater. She thought his internal conflict must be immense if it had reached a point where he would be willing to bring Yamato down to justify himself.

"Is she otherwise healthy?" Hikari asked, unsure of what to say next.

"She's in assisted living," was his response.

She let go of his face and instead reached to hold his hand. She felt like she had brought up a topic he hadn't wanted to think about. She wanted to make him feel better, but she didn't know how. A similarity between the two of them was that they tended to hold in their negative feelings, and she felt she had no place to tell him anything when she was probably worse than he was.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly, then got up to clear the remnants of the snack they had been having before he had received his call.

"I'm just kidding. It isn't that serious," he said to her, his appearance returned to normal. "She was happy to talk to you just now. One day, you can meet her. I want to show you Paris, Hikari. I want to show you everything."

He leaned down again to kiss her again before walking towards the kitchen.

"Maybe I can visit you when you move back," she suggested to him, watching his backside as he disappeared into the other room.

Her voice was too soft. He hadn't heard her.

* * *

Miyako had come home to find the flat empty and lambasted Hikari for not being available for flatmate talk, so she made the decision to go home for the rare occasion to see her. Takeru walked her to the subway, going past the entrance of the station all the way to the scanner to see her off.

"You didn't have to walk me all the way down here," she teased, taking out her metro card. She went to scan it, but Takeru's hand stopped her.

"Hey."

She looked up at him, and he looked back at her affectionately, a soft smile on his face.

"I'm sorry if I was being weird earlier. My grandmother guilt trips me because she doesn't know what she's saying, and then I end up taking it too seriously. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologising? I wasn't uncomfortable," she quickly said to him, even though she had been. Secretly, she was glad for the clarification.

His calm smile stayed in place, and he dipped lower to kiss her quickly on the lips. She was conscious of the steady flow of people entering and leaving the station, wondered why he didn't care that people could see them.

"Call me later, okay? Say hi to Miyako for me."

* * *

Miyako said she had died.

She was speaking in hyperbole, of course.

When Miyako had asked Hikari what was new, she hadn't been expecting her answer to be about Takeru. Hikari had originally planned not to mention it to anyone until they made it "official," but she had also known that Miyako would grow more offended the longer she waited to tell her.

Indeed, she had already heard a mouthful. On top of being excited, Miyako was disappointed that she hadn't received live updates as they were happening.

Miyako was the one who had wanted to have flatmate talk, but when Hikari tried to pivot the conversation to ask what she had wanted to talk about, Miyako immediately deemed her own news insignificant as there was a greater development at hand. Hikari pleaded not to make it into a big deal, but Miyako insisted they needed to call an emergency meeting with Sora and Mimi immediately. According to her, it was necessary because while she was self-aware that she always gave bad advice, Sora was the wisest and Mimi the most successful in their group.

By the way, she was going to tell Ken too.

Hikari felt a slight panic at the thought that Takeru was keeping private through all of this, whereas she was somehow spreading it to their entire shared friend group at the speed of light.

"But why are you hiding it?" Miyako asked, genuinely confused.

Miyako was a practical person. Whenever Hikari worried about something, Miyako would quiz her with the simplest of questions that could easily convince Hikari that she was being overly complex.

She couldn't answer, so she agreed, and an hour later, she found herself sitting in Sora's flat, three pairs of eyes laser-focused on her.

"Tell us everything!" Mimi demanded excitedly. "_Now_!"

Hikari knew of no other person with the same level of confidence and authority as Mimi Tachikawa, and under her command, Hikari started to open up. She wasn't sure what she should disclose and eventually settled on telling them about their first kiss, said they had been "seeing" each other since, left out the detail of him slipping under the radar for two weeks in between.

Five weeks had flown by, she realised. Takeru was originally supposed to stay for eight.

She didn't tell them this either.

Mimi and Miyako were shrieking. They were so loud that when there was a knock on the door, she was sure it was a neighbour ready to complain.

Sora shushed them and went to get the door, and Hikari saw her brother standing at the doorstep.

"You are too loud," Taichi deadpanned at Sora. "I can literally hear you over my TV." He peeked inside and looked surprised seeing her guests. "What are you doing here?" he asked, looking directly at Hikari.

"Excuse you!" Mimi huffed. "How rude are you? Can't you just say hello?"

"Hi," he greeted, walking inside though Sora pointed out that she hadn't actually invited him in. "What are you doing here?" he repeated to Hikari.

"Miyako and I are just visiting," she answered generically.

"Taichi, did you know Hikari and Takeru are _dating_?!" Mimi revealed immediately.

"Mimi!" Hikari squealed, watching her brother's confused expression change into a frown.

"Oh god, spare me," Taichi muttered. He turned around and headed into Sora's kitchen, opposite of where they sat.

Sora giggled and lowered her voice so he couldn't hear. "You know he's trying to act cool, but he's getting himself worked up over it."

"He's so easy to read," Mimi agreed. She raised her voice. "Taichi, can you bring me some sparkling water?"

He didn't answer her. They heard the sound of the microwave instead. Sora and Mimi giggled again, while Hikari searched her bag of excuses for what to say if he were to question her.

When he came back out, he held a bowl of soup in one hand and a sparkling water for Mimi in the other.

"Are you seriously dating Takeru?" Taichi asked the moment he sat down, looking at her grimly. "I thought you didn't like him. Whatever happened to that?"

"We aren't _dating_."

Taichi narrowed his eyelids. "Then what are you doing, Hikari?"

"Yeah, what are you doing, Hikariiiii?" Mimi sang, poking her arm. Hikari turned pink. She generally didn't do well when everyone's attention was on her, especially when it pertained to her personal life. When she didn't reply, Mimi turned to Taichi again, grinning widely. "She means they're hooking up, in case that wasn't clear to you."

Taichi turned from Mimi to Hikari, frowning deeply. "Hikari…"

"No, that isn't what we're doing!" Hikari denied frantically, though for a moment she wondered if that was. "Don't say anything to him!"

She didn't want it to get back to Takeru that she had been talking about him to others, as if she was obsessed with him.

"I think it's so cute!" Mimi declared. "Takeru has always liked you so much. I felt bad for him growing up."

Taichi rolled his eyes and muttered something unintelligible as he took a mouthful of food.

Mimi glared at him. "Taichi, can you please read the situation? We're trying to have girl talk."

He pretended not to get the hint. "You can include me in girl talk."

"You're not a girl, Taichi!"

"I thought you wanted to be spared," Sora reminded him.

"I've changed my mind."

"Fine, have it your way." Mimi turned to Hikari. "So if he's over all the time, does that mean you've slept with him? Come on, Hikari, give us the good bits!"

Mimi and Miyako began to giggle fiercely, and Hikari could feel herself crimson. A question she already would not have answered had it just been the girls was made a million times more awkward with her brother's presence. She wanted to disappear.

"Goodbye," Taichi announced, standing up abruptly. He left the flat with the bowl and spoon still in his hand.

"Make sure you return that!" Sora called after him, even though he had already closed the front door. She sighed. "I swear half my stuff is in his cupboard."

Hikari was too mortified to speak. She didn't know about other siblings, but she and Taichi most certainly did not talk about things like this.

"Sorry Hikari, I had to get rid of him somehow," Mimi said dismissively, not looking apologetic at all. "You don't have to answer that. Unless you want to of course."

Hikari looked at Mimi's hopeful face and didn't respond.

"You're so boring," Mimi pouted, sinking into Sora's couch. "I'm married and don't have any fun in my life anymore. Let me live vicariously through you guys!"

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Sora said to her nicely.

Actually, Hikari for once did want to talk about it. They all knew Takeru and grew up with him, so she wanted their opinion on some of the insecurities she was having, whether they would validate them or tell her that she was overthinking everything.

"Okay, let's start off easy," Mimi rephrased. "Do _you_ like him, or are you just having fun?"

"Hikari doesn't just have fun," Miyako answered for her. "You're either serious or you're not, right?"

"Stop answering for her!" Mimi scolded.

Hikari nodded shyly. "I like him."

Mimi squealed excitedly, grasping both Sora and Miyako by the arms and shaking them. "This calls for a celebration. We need champagne," Mimi declared, turning to Sora. "Sora, tell me you have champagne."

"I have prosecco."

"That is not the same thing!" Mimi cried in disgust. "Ugh, go ask Taichi if he has champagne."

"He doesn't," Sora answered knowingly. "He'll probably murder me if I told him we're having champagne to celebrate Hikari and Takeru anyway."

"No, don't celebrate anything," Hikari protested as she watched Sora get up. "There isn't anything to celebrate."

But Sora brought out the prosecco anyway, and Mimi made a toast in honour of her and Takeru. Hikari brought the glass to her lips but didn't have any of it.

"Hikari, I will literally _die_ if you two get married," Mimi cried out.

"You mean 'figuratively,'" Miyako corrected Mimi excitedly. "Hikari, I bet you have him wrapped around your little finger. I can see him worshipping the very ground you walk on."

"No, it isn't like that," Hikari dismissed quickly. "We aren't even dating."

"You just told us you've been staying with him for weeks!" Miyako shot back.

"I know, but we haven't put a label on it. He hasn't asked, and I'm not going to either. I don't want to make this into a big deal. For all I know, he isn't that interested."

Miyako went from excited to exasperated. Hikari knew that she frustrated Miyako sometimes, especially because of how different they were. Miyako had a self-assurance she lacked. Hikari was the type of person who carefully analysed everything, whereas Miyako went by feel.

"Hikari, obviously he likes you!" she practically shouted. Hikari could imagine her brother overhearing their entire conversation from how loud they were being. "Who cares if he hasn't asked you to be his girlfriend? Nobody does that anymore! People just get together, and obviously that is what Takeru is looking for too!"

"I don't know…"

Miyako frowned. "Then you ask him! Who cares? I was the one who made the first move on Ken too. Maybe Takeru is shy like my Ken!"

But Hikari didn't think Takeru was all that shy either.

"Hikari!" Miyako cried in frustration. Sora calmed her down.

"I think…" She didn't want to admit it out loud, but if it wasn't going to be to them, it wouldn't be to anyone. "I think he's afraid to commit."

Mimi snorted.

"He's probably trying not to scare you off by acting so serious," Mimi offered. "Or maybe it's because we all made fun of him the other night. All men are the same. It's so typical."

"Takeru doesn't seem like the kind of person who plays games," Sora mused. "Then again, I guess I haven't really seen him with a girlfriend before."

"He was flirty in school," Miyako reminded them. "He was never serious with anyone though. I think he liked the attention."

"Again, typical," Mimi mumbled.

Hikari giggled, remembering how Takeru had been back then. He was not so much a player as he was just kind to everyone, but it did get him in trouble because girls would constantly misunderstand his friendly personality for romantic interest. Takeru was not so imperceptive that he didn't know what was happening, but he had made little effort to change himself either.

"We all know he didn't date because he was waiting for you," Mimi explained. Even Sora laughed.

"It was never like that…" Hikari protested, suddenly feeling bad for him. She didn't want anyone to think she had taken something away from him. She didn't want to dispute it ten years later either. "Takeru isn't obsessed with me."

Mimi pointed at her. "Hikari, being two years older than you, I'm going to offer you some sisterly advice. If you've got it, you've got it, and you shouldn't have to apologise for it."

Sora put a hand on top of hers. "Why do you think he's afraid to commit?"

She didn't want her friends to think she was crazy, but at the same time she wanted another opinion other than the elaborate justification she had created in her head.

"He's only here temporarily," she reminded them. That was the same excuse he had given her. "His work assignment was only supposed to be for two months originally, and that's coming up."

"Hikari." Mimi looked very serious. "You should move to France."

"Mimi, that's terrible advice."

"Why not?!" Mimi barked back at Sora. "Or make him stay here. Instead of looking for the one thing that doesn't fit to convince yourself out of something, fix it! Who cares if he's here temporarily? I was long distance for years, and I still made my marriage work!"

"No!" Hikari squealed, imagining Takeru being frightened by the very suggestion. "I'm not going to move to France."

"Hikari, when Michael _literally_—" Mimi shot an annoyed look at Miyako in case she wanted to correct her, "—begged me to marry him, I told him I would only do it if we move to Japan. Do you think that was an easy conversation?"

"But you guys dated for a long time," Hikari reminded her.

Mimi rolled her eyes. "It wasn't that long. Besides, the point is that you have to actually talk to him about it. You can't just avoid the subject until the night before he's about to board his plane!"

"My turn," Sora interrupted, looking at both Mimi and Miyako pointedly for being more frustrated than helpful. She turned to Hikari. "The same way you have reservations speaking to him, I bet Takeru is probably nervous to bring it up too."

"I did bring it up before," Hikari admitted, reliving the embarrassment. "He avoided answering me."

"Maybe what you're saying is true. You're the one who's seeing him, but if I know Takeru, he's probably just nervous because he's waited for this moment for a long time. For all we know, he avoided answering you because he's afraid of what you have to say too. Either way, you need to talk about it with him."

"You girls are wrong," Hikari told them. "Everyone keeps saying that he's in love with me, but he isn't." She stopped short of saying that she felt herself liking him more than he her.

"Hikari!" Miyako shrieked. "Stop trying to always be so damn humble all the time! Everyone knows that he loves you! You know it too! You don't need him to say it to know that he does!"

"But he doesn't," Hikari protested.

"Hikari!" Miyako scolded angrily. "The world won't end if you give yourself a compliment from time-to-time!"

"What Miyako is trying to say," Sora rephrased, "is that we don't think you have much to worry about. Takeru is a good guy, and you two make a cute couple. If something is bothering you, talk to him, but otherwise we're happy for you both."

Hikari smiled softly to her. "I am happy. I was just pointing out one thing, but everything else about him makes me happy."

Sora was someone Hikari looked up to a lot. In her eyes, she was a cool and confident woman who never compromised when it came to her love life. Mimi may have gotten married first, and Miyako may have dated the same person the longest, but Sora was the one who always dated men with the full package. She was also the type of woman who could immediately kick a man who had wronged her to the curb, and she had always envied her for that.

Hikari herself hadn't had many relationships, but all of hers had been long-term. Sometimes, when she thought back at them, there were times that she had been too forgiving and ended up getting hurt. Each time, she would regret it and tell herself to do better next time, yet she would somehow end up doing the same thing again. She couldn't really say she had ever been tremendously hurt just because she had always dated nice guys, but each had left a small scar nevertheless.

Mimi sighed loudly. "I bet you two are sickly cute, aren't you? Ooh, I can't want to see it for myself!"

Miyako reached over for the snack that Sora had put out. "You know what makes me angry? What I've learned in life is that perfect guys like Takeru only go for perfect girls like you."

"He isn't perfect," Hikari countered quietly, but in her head, she thought otherwise. Regardless of her own reservations, he seemed so flawless to her. "And I'm not either."

"I'm not even going to comment on your self-deprecation anymore," Miyako said, even though she had just commented on it.

"Ken's a catch," Mimi countered.

"He's noncommittal, and I hate him for it," Miyako shot back angrily.

"Oh, stop it," Mimi hushed. "This isn't about you." She turned to Sora. "Sora, now you have to find someone too."

"This isn't about me either," Sora protested.

"I agree that it shouldn't be, but now you're the only single one, so you need to get it together and stop being so picky!" Mimi sighed. "Besides, we all know Hikari isn't going to tell us anything juicier, will you, Hikari?"

Hikari felt like she had already told them so much more than she usually would, so she gladly welcomed the change in subject.

Mimi looked exasperated. "Can't Taichi introduce you to one of his friends? Some of his friends are pretty hot."

"Ugh, no. I'm already friends with all of his friends, and they're just as bad as he is." She turned to Hikari with a grin. "No offence."

Hikari thought her brother was just fine and didn't understand what Sora meant.

"Then let me introduce you to one of Michael's friends."

"They're too snobby."

"What if Takeru introduces you to his friends?"

"I'm not interested in younger men."

"What if Ken introduced you to one of his older detective co-workers?"

"No, thank you," Sora replied without an excuse.

"Arrrrghhhh!"

"I'm okay being single for now, Mimi. I don't need a man to be happy."

"Ugh, but I want to go on double dates with you!"

"Hey! What's wrong with double dates with me?" Miyako countered.

"Nothing! I just want Sora there too! We can have triple dates! Quadruple dates with Takeru and Hikari too!" Mimi sighed dramatically. "Besides, Michael and I are trying to have a baby, and I want babies at the same time as you guys so our children can be friends."

"Mimi, I couldn't be farther from that if I tried," Sora shot down.

"Maybe you should date Ken," Miyako deadpanned. "You two seem to be on the same wavelength."

Mimi shushed Miyako quiet again, and there was another knock on the door.

"What is it now?" Sora muttered as she went to answer the door. Hikari saw her brother at the entrance once again.

"I'm returning your bowl," he said matter-of-factly, handing it to her.

"Did you even bother to wash it?"

"Yes." He stepped inside and looked straight at her. "Hikari, I've been thinking."

"You mean in the last five minutes?" Sora asked him sarcastically.

He ignored her, fixated on Hikari instead. "What is the point of you paying all of that rent if you're not even going to be home?"

"I'm always home," she protested.

"Then what is the point of you paying all that rent if you invite someone else over all the time?" he rephrased without skipping a beat. "Is Takeru paying you back for utilities?"

"I don't want to talk about this with you!" she squealed. She loved her brother, but they never talked about their love lives with each other. She certainly didn't want to start now with Takeru.

"You're such an overprotective brother," Mimi teased him.

"I'm not an overprotective brother," Taichi defended. "I just think it doesn't make sense that you always have him over all the time. He has his own place."

"Don't worry," Mimi continued. "Hikari told us she has been to his place a bunch of times too."

Hikari really wished Mimi would not do that.

"Hikari…"

In fairness, Hikari truly didn't think he was that overprotective. He did have a tendency to be cold in the beginning to her previous boyfriends, but he always ended up becoming friends with them. Takeru was already his friend, so she wasn't sure why he was acting this way now.

His head was suddenly shot forward as Mimi smacked him on the back of his head. "Taichi! Just let Hikari live a little! Why are you impeding on her happiness?"

Taichi looked annoyed. "I'm not impeding on anything. I just think—"

"Ugh, shut up! You're such a killjoy!" She then linked her arm around his. "Say, Taichi, I was thinking… Do you have any single friends?"

He frowned. "I'm not introducing Hikari to any of my friends."

"Not her, silly! She already has Takeru whether you like it or not." She blinked innocently. "I mean for Sora."

"No!" Sora hissed at her.

Taichi rolled his eyes and wiggled his way out of Mimi's grasp. "Why should I? I'd be wasting their time."

"Hey, what does that mean?" Sora snapped at him.

"You've already told me you aren't interested in any of my friends," he reminded her.

Hikari was thankful towards Mimi for changing the topic, and she examined the three of them get heated on their new subject as she settled back with Miyako.

"Even though he just scolded you, I wish my brother cared about me as much as Taichi cares about you."

She knew her brother cared a lot and always looked out for her, and for that she was thankful. Ever since they were young, he had been a popular pupil who left his mark wherever he went, and in turn that meant he had carved out an easy childhood for her. Her surname was enough to get her recognition for her brother's achievements, so up until she reached university, she had been more well-known as Taichi Yagami's younger sister than Hikari Yagami. Yes, it had come with the unrealistic expectations that she would follow in his footsteps—she possessed neither his confidence nor leadership qualities nor athleticism—but this was never something that had bothered her. She had always been proud of her brother, probably more than anyone else. It seemed to her that he lacked every flaw she saw in herself, so whenever she tried to improve, she looked to him as her guide.

Taichi and Sora were arguing again. Her brother, for as much as he had just said he didn't want to introduce Sora to his friends, had suddenly changed his mind when Mimi offered to set him up with a beautiful model friend of hers.

"Just take one for the team," he was saying to her.

"What team?"

"_Our_ team!" he exclaimed, moving his hands frantically over the space between them. "I would do that for you!"

"I would never _ask_ you to do something like that! That's the difference between you and me! Besides, what makes you even think she would even like you? What would a model be doing with the likes of you?!"

"Augh, I hate it!" Mimi shrieked. "I hate you both! Why can't all of you be more like me?!"

Sora must have been desperate to get Taichi off her back, for she suddenly reminded him. "You were here to nag at Hikari, not get a date out of Mimi."

He seemed to remember his goal just then too and turned back to her. "Yes, so stop inviting Takeru over, or I'm going to tell our parents. Don't think I won't, Hikari."

"He doesn't even come over that often," she said, knowing she was lying to him.

"I'm going to talk to Yamato too," he added.

She had forgotten about him. Her memory conjured the image of the cold eyes Yamato had given her, the lecture he had given Takeru, the attempt to keep them away, the confirmation from Takeru himself that Yamato disapproved of them.

"No, please don't," she begged, tugging on her brother's sleeve. "We're just starting off. Can we all please just not make a big deal out of this? He's going to be overwhelmed if everyone starts bombarding him."

She made it sound like she was speaking for Takeru, but inside she knew it was her.

Her brother must have heard the desperation in her voice.

"Fine," he agreed.

Rather than leave, he changed the subject, even though it was obvious to everyone, himself included, that he was not wanted. Unable to speak about Takeru in front of her brother, they ended up chatting about everything else until Mimi grew bored and declared she was going to leave. Mimi leaving was enough to convince Miyako and her that they should leave too, so the three of them got ready to depart. Sora forced Taichi to stay and help clean with her.

"No fair. I wasn't even invited!"

"If you knew you weren't invited, then why did you stay?" she shot back. "All this mess is yours!"

He ignored Sora and went up to Hikari as she was about to head out the front door.

"I know that Takeru likes you. I don't have a problem with him. Just be careful, okay?"

She said okay, even though she didn't understand what he was so worried about. She, Miyako, and Mimi left Sora's flat and headed out of the building, but they didn't separate right away, Mimi making her driver wait even longer as she gave her final reassurance about Takeru.

"Go get him," she encouraged.

With the combined efforts of Mimi and Miyako, as well as Sora earlier, she felt more confident in herself. Even her brother in his own way had contributed to it.

She considered going to his place instead of going back home, but Miyako made a big fuss about going back together since she was going to be home for once. Once on the subway though, she changed her mind and said she would instead gather some things and head over to Ken's place after all.

Hikari thought Daisuke was very kind for letting Miyako stay all the time. Miyako said he hated it, but what was he going to do?

While Miyako was busily texting her boyfriend, Hikari too looked at her phone to see whether she had any messages from Takeru. She did. She replied to tell him she was on her way home, and that he could come over for the weekend if he'd like, since Miyako was going to leave after all.

He didn't respond, but when they reached home, she saw him waiting for her outside the door.

"Takeru!" she greeted in surprise, conscious of Miyako's presence.

"Hiiiii Takeruuuu," Miyako dragged out her greeting, bobbing her eyebrows.

"It's nice to see you, Miyako."

"Mm_hmmmm_," Miyako drawled. "What are _you_ doing in Odaiba?"

Hikari felt herself blush at Miyako's dramatics, but Takeru looked unfazed.

"I was just visiting my mother. I thought I'd drop by before heading home."

"Mmhmm, I'm sure. Well, I'll just head in first! I'm leaving very soon, so you two can have the flat all to yourselves!" Miyako winked at them both and scurried inside.

Takeru chuckled once she had closed the door. "She's funny."

"Were you waiting for very long?" she asked him, still embarrassed.

"No, I just got here." He reached for her waist and pulled her to him. She imagined Miyako looking through the peephole to spy on them as he kissed her. "I guess this means you told Miyako?"

"Yes, and I'm pretty sure she's planning to tell everyone else." For some reason, she felt apologetic and found herself adding, "I'm sorry."

He laughed. "Why are you sorry? I don't care about that, Hikari."

He took it so well. Seeing him so lax now made her feel silly that she had been so worried about it.

She backed away from his embrace and led him inside. Miyako was in fact not right at the door but moving about the flat rapidly to gather her possessions. Hikari was amazed by the number of items Miyako owned considering how much stuff she must have already had at Ken's.

Miyako stopped running around when she noticed the two of them.

"Congratulations, by the way," she said happily.

"For what?" Takeru asked with an equally pleasant disposition.

"For following through on your schoolboy dreams," she teased. "Takeru, when are you going to make it official?"

Hikari felt flustered, knowing Miyako was taking matters into her own hands based on what she had been told earlier.

"'My schoolboy dreams,'" Takeru repeated with a laugh.

Miyako stood up taller, crossing her arms. "You better be good to Hikari, or else you'll have to answer to me! You should really consider yourself so lucky. Hikari is one hell of a catch. Are you sure you're good enough for her?"

Takeru only smiled in response. Hikari knew Miyako was joking, and she was sure Takeru knew too, but she still felt embarrassed. She didn't want him to think she put herself on a pedestal.

Miyako made a big scene about leaving, insisting she'd have to go before they became "super gross." Hikari apologised for Miyako's behaviour as soon as she had left.

"Miyako is fun," Takeru said in response.

"She told Sora and Mimi, and then my brother found out too… I told them not to make a big deal, but just in case he reaches out to you, I'm sorry in advance."

Takeru didn't look bothered. "Your brother likes me, and besides I think he already suspected it back at Mimi's place. I'm sure my brother talks to him too."

The last time they had talked about Yamato, he had told her that he didn't want Takeru to pursue her. She wondered if her brother felt the same but couldn't express it the same way. He didn't lecture her often, so it was possible that he was withholding it. She made a note to ask Sora later, since he would probably vent to her.

"I'm pretty sure she's about to tell Daisuke and Ken too."

"Daisuke finding out should be funny," he mused. "I'd love to see his reaction."

He was so unbothered.

"I don't care who knows, Hikari," he told her knowingly, pulling her onto his lap and into another kiss, intensifying it as if he hadn't seen her in ages, even though it had only been a few hours.

Actually, she felt the same.

"Takeru," she said to him, drawing back.

"Yes?"

"I want to show you something."

She scrambled off him and led him to her room by the hand. She opened one of her desk drawers and took out an instant camera she hadn't used in months, then also pulled the photo album he had given her their second night from a shelf.

"I've been thinking about what to put in this," she told him, opening the blank album. "I thought maybe we could fill it with photos of us together."

She had originally planned to start it once they were "official," but perhaps Miyako was right. Perhaps they didn't need a title after all, because despite them not having one, what they shared right now was enough for her.

He told her he liked that idea a lot.

She took him by the hand again and led him to the balcony, choosing it as the location for their first snap. Even with the low light and poor quality of the instant film, Takeru shone so brightly in the photo. She found him so photogenic, a perfect replica of how he looked in real life.

She was about to put the photo in the album, but Takeru stopped her. He wanted it and asked to keep it. When she gave it to him, he slipped it in his wallet, right behind his ID card. The fact that he wanted to keep a picture of her in his wallet was so cute to her.

They took two more. She kept the second, putting it under her phone case so she could look at it all the time. She placed the third and final one in the first page of the photo book. With that singular picture, she felt herself get excited to see how the book would look once filled with their memories.

Takeru's skimmed the lone photo with his fingers. She placed her hand on top of his, and he flipped his over to squeeze her hand before kissing her perfectly on the lips.

"Hikari."

"Hm?"

"I want to apologise again for earlier."

It took her a second to register what he was referring to.

"I made you feel guilty with what I said about my family. I shouldn't have implied anything, but I want you to know that I wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world. I've never been happier than I am when I'm with you."

She found it odd that he was being so serious, and she searched his face for that strange sign she would see sometimes. The emptiness in his eyes, the downturn of his lips, the hollow voice.

She didn't see any of these things. He was genuine.

"I'm happy too, Takeru."

He looked back at the photo album.

"Let's fill every page," he said to her. "And after this one, we'll fill another. And another."

* * *

1 August 2020

Every year, I tell myself to update any of my fics on 1 August, but this is the first time I've actually done it! Sorry for those who are waiting for _Paradigm Shift_ instead. I wanted it to be that one since it's considerably more popular, but I purposely wrote _Serendipity_ in a more straightforward and succinct style, so it's quite a bit easier for me to write.


	10. Chapter 10: Serendipity

**Serendipity  
Chapter 10: Serendipity**

Hikari knew that whenever she had a boyfriend, she had a tendency to spend all of her time with him, but she didn't realise just how attached she had become to Takeru until her colleagues invited her to grab drinks after work one day.

Employed at a primary school, these sort of work outings were not common, so while Hikari would have usually been happy to join such an occasion, this time she thought first of Takeru. They didn't have definitive plans, but it was understood between them that they'd meet after work, likely grab dinner, and head to her place for the weekend.

She knew Takeru wouldn't mind and could easily find something else to do. Perhaps he'd go out with his own colleagues or hang out with other friends or even just spend a night in by himself, something he hadn't had three weeks.

But Hikari wanted him to spend time with her. She wanted to see him light up as they'd meet, try out a new restaurant or a new recipe together, and spend the rest of the evening just being together. That to her was more appealing than going to some bar with her colleagues where she ranked amongst the youngest, but at the same time she felt guilty to skip.

In the faculty lounge, Hikari could overhear the excited discussions of where they'd go for the evening. Hikari's seat was near the window at the edge of the room, so it was easy for her to blend into the background. Beside her was her closest colleague, Asanuma, another young teacher around her age with a sarcastic disposition that often made Hikari laugh.

"Are you going?" Hikari asked her.

"Might as well. It's not like I have any other plans," Asanuma answered with a sigh, rolling her hazel eyes slightly. "Are you?"

Hikari shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure…"

"Oh, right. I forgot you have a boyfriend now."

Hikari shushed her quiet. At the height of her excitement over Takeru, Asanuma had caught her looking too happy, and Hikari had confessed that she was talking to someone. As a friend, she didn't mind that Asanuma knew, but she definitely didn't want it to spread to the others.

"I can go," Hikari pledged quickly to cover up her embarrassment.

"Just invite him," Asanuma suggested, as if it were common sense. "Loads of people are inviting their significant others."

"Are you taking anyone?"

"No, I'm still alone. As always."

"Yagami, where would you like to go?"

Mori, the physical education coach who Hikari knew had a thing for her, had suddenly appeared. Hikari thought his affections were more due to convenience than actually liking her, as the number of unmarried teachers in the school was quite low. In either case, she always rejected his advances, citing that it was against school policy to have faculty date.

"Er…"

"Yagami's taken now," Asanuma announced for her.

"You're seeing someone?!" Mori cried, and Hikari felt a rush of colour as everyone's eyes suddenly turned to her.

"Er, no, I…" she stuttered, but it was too late.

Hikari had always divulged very little about her private life. She had always been this way even with her close friends, but she was even more cautious around her co-workers. Gossip around the school faculty was rampant, and she had done her best over the years to stay away from it. She never wanted to be in the centre of work gossip, but for some reason she felt okay if they knew about Takeru. He was someone she had known for so long, and therefore he seemed safer.

She insisted that she was just talking to a close friend, adamant that they weren't serious, but her co-workers riveted in curiosity and urged her to invite him out. She tried to say he'd be busy, but when she texted him to ask, he readily agreed. He ended work later than she did, but he could join them once he got out.

While at first stressed that everyone was making it into such a big deal, she ended up pleased that she could spend time both with him and her colleagues.

They ended up going to a neighbouring izakaya that they always went to for the space. Soon, husbands and wives who Hikari had met on multiple occasions filed in one-by-one as well. Hikari, Asanuma, and Mori situated themselves at a small end table by themselves, Hikari taking the seat where she could easily see who would walk in the door.

She looked up whenever she heard the door open to check whether it was Takeru. When he finally did, he caught her eye immediately and gave her that winning smile of his. Asanuma beside her nudged her arm as he waved at her.

"Is that him? He's cute!"

She beamed with pride. She did think he looked rather smart and dashing in his work attire, and she felt proud that he was hers. Takeru walked over to their table, grinning.

"Hi," he greeted her with a touch to the shoulder. He then turned to introduce himself to Asanuma who sat beside her and Mori who sat across.

He could have sat in the empty seat beside Mori, but he didn't get a chance as everyone else who noticed his arrival suddenly wanted to meet him. He was the only new face in the group and the first person Hikari had ever invited, which must have peaked everyone's interest. It was almost overwhelming for her, but for him it seemed easy. He greeted everyone and retained names, and she could tell that he was being well-received. He had always been friendly and likable, so Hikari had expected this.

"He's very charming," Asanuma said to her while Takeru chatted away with a colleague's husband, with whom Hikari herself had never spoken more than ten words. "He looks at you in the eye when he talks to you, and he always refers to people by their names."

Hikari had never noticed that about him.

"Takaishi!" Mori called out loudly to him. "Yagami wants you back at our table! We're going to make a toast!"

Takeru turned to them and smiled, then turned back to end his conversation with her colleague's husband. Asanuma got up to make space for Takeru by sitting next to Mori instead, and he took the seat next to Hikari.

She was used to him touching her—he was far touchier than she was—but he was careful now that they around his colleagues. He didn't even put his arm around her. She grazed her fingers with his underneath the table.

"So how long have you two known each other?" Mori asked him, sounding slightly jealous.

"We've known each other since we were eight," Takeru explained, "but I've had a crush on Hikari since I was… eleven, was it?" He grinned at her. "It only took you seventeen years to warm up to me."

A colleague from the neighbouring table—a married woman at least fifteen years her senior—suddenly turned in her chair and began reprimanding her.

"Yagami, how could you? Takeru is such a nice young man! Why make him wait so long?"

Hikari couldn't believe it. She had worked in this school for seven years, and nobody called her by her first name. Of course Takeru would take all but minutes to familiarise himself to that level.

"You're leaving out vital information," Hikari protested. "You lived in France for ten years. Don't forget that."

"Oh, yes, I did," Takeru agreed with a laugh.

In an instant, they were peppering him with questions about France, why he had gone (for university), whether he loved it (he did), and why had he suddenly come back.

"Because Hikari is here?" he answered jokingly, laughing as they teased him back.

Asanuma was right. He really did keep eye contact whenever he spoke to anyone, even her seniors.

"Did you really come because Yagami is here?" Asanuma asked him, her hard exterior having disappeared in front of him.

"I'd say it was more serendipitous," he replied. "My company needed me to go to Japan, and Hikari happened to be here too."

"How nice," Mori deadpanned. He turned to Hikari. "So how long have you two been dating?"

Takeru looked at Hikari, but she didn't know what to say. She had already told her colleagues that they weren't serious and hoped Takeru didn't think she was going around bragging about being in a relationship when they hadn't defined it as that.

"About a month," Takeru answered for her, looking back at their audience with an easy smile.

She was unsure how to feel. Was this a real timeframe that he believed in, or did he make it up so that he could give her colleagues an answer?

"Hikari, do you want some peanuts?"

She felt Takeru touch her thigh, and she looked up to see him passing the bowl to her. She shook her head no, and he popped some in his mouth instead.

"Yagami, you and your boyfriend are cute," Asanuma affirmed.

She didn't know what to say to this either. Again, she hoped Takeru didn't think she had been making this to be something else.

"Thank you," Takeru accepted for them when she didn't reply.

Hikari leaned to him and lowered her voice to a whisper that only he could hear. "I never told them you were my boyfriend."

Takeru smiled back in response but didn't say anything else. He reached over for another handful of peanuts and offered her some. This time, she took a few from his hand.

Takeru played drinking games with her colleagues, while Hikari stuck with her water. It seemed to her that her co-workers liked him more than they liked her, and as they got ready to leave, they requested that she bring him around more often. He promised to see them again soon, and they walked off, Takeru keeping some distance from her.

Once they were far enough from the izakaya, however, Hikari wrapped her arms around one of his and leaned against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head. As they walked, she imagined they must look as cute as her colleagues had thought.

"Your phone is ringing," she told him, feeling the vibration against him.

Takeru took out his phone, and Hikari glanced over to see Yamato's name on the screen. He slipped the phone back into his pocket.

"You can pick up," she told him, but he told her that it wasn't important and that he'd respond later.

They took the subway back to her place, and from her station exit onwards, Takeru couldn't keep his hands off of her. He started kissing her the moment they were in the lift.

"Takeru!" she squealed, staring at the CCTV in the corner as he bit into her neck.

"Hm?" He drew back and stared at her. She pointed at the camera, and he turned to look at it for a second before kissing her again. "Who cares, Hikari?"

"Just wait a few minutes," she said to him, but he wouldn't, and she tried desperately to conceal her face from the camera in case the security guard was looking.

He practically dragged her from the lift inside her empty flat, ravaging her almost instantly. He had missed her, he said, as he peeled clothes off the both of them and threw himself on top of her on her bed.

"Shouldn't we wash first?" she asked him, knowing she was on the verge of ruining the moment.

"Later," he said breathily into her mouth.

A month ago, she had been shy whenever she was exposed so freely in front of him, but by now she had grown used to it.

When they finished, he rolled over to the side of her, and as he always did, pulled her into an embrace.

"I'm going to take a shower," she told him as she sat up. She looked back at him. He was staring at her. "Want to join?"

He shook his head lightly and smiled. "I'm going to call my brother back. I'll go after you."

Hikari told him to tell Yamato she said hi, even though she kind of wished he wouldn't say anything at all, and went into the bathroom. When she came out again, Takeru was no longer on the phone, instead staring at the ceiling.

"Hi," she said, just in case he hadn't heard her walk in.

He turned and greeted her with a smile. "Hey."

She held her towel to her body. "You can use the shower now. I put another towel out for you."

He got up and thanked her as he passed by. She sat on the bed to blow-dry her hair and saw his phone continually light up on her bedside table, Yamato's name flashing on the screen each time.

She wondered whether he was texting Takeru so much to scold him for being with her.

She hadn't seen or spoken to him since that night she saw him at the bar, but she could still remember how cold he had been to her.

Her hair dry, she got up and changed into her pyjamas. Takeru's was folded neatly beside hers in the drawer, so she took his out too and laid it on the bed, along with a pair of clean boxers. She cleared their discarded clothing off the floor and put her clothes in the laundry basket and his off to the side to take to the dry cleaners in the morning.

By the time she was done, Takeru was back in the room. She handed him his clean clothes, and he changed, moving the towel from his waist around his shoulders instead to catch excess water dripping from his damp hair.

"Yamato texted you," Hikari said to him, handing him his phone.

Takeru scrolled through the messages quickly and set the phone back down without replying, his expression not changing.

"Is it important?" she asked, knowing she was being nosy.

"Nah."

He ran the towel through his hair. She too helped, as she often did just because she liked the way he always laughed. Her hair dried fairly quickly, but Takeru's was thicker and required more time. He air dried, which added to the length, but she noticed he liked to spend the extra time catching up on the news.

She got into bed, waiting for him to lie down too, but he had picked up his phone again and was looking at the screen.

She propped herself up with her elbow and looked up at him.

"Say, Takeru…"

His eyes peeked over from his phone screen to her. "Hm?"

"Earlier, you told my colleagues that we've been together for a month."

He blinked and smiled warmly to her, then turned back to his phone. "Mmhmm."

"Is that what you think?" she asked him, wanting a conversation.

He chuckled. "I don't know, Hikari. I just said a month because that's approximately how long I've been back."

"You've actually been back a month and a half," she pointed out to him. He was still not looking at her, but she shyly tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Do you think maybe we should pick a date?"

He laughed again. "Has it already been a month and a half?"

"It has," she confirmed. "Also, just so you know, I never told them you're my boyfriend, but I noticed that you also just accepted it when they called you that…"

He finally looked over from his phone.

"What else could I have said, Hikari?" he asked with a smile.

It wasn't the response she was expecting. Now that Asanuma had pointed it out, she couldn't help but notice that he was looking at her straight in the eye. She looked down, suddenly burdened by this.

"Well, it's just that we've never really talked about it, so I thought maybe we could—"

"Hikari."

She looked up again. He had flipped his phone around so that she could see his screen. She saw a lot of words in French.

"It says there was an earthquake in Indonesia, and it might start a tsunami," he translated. He showed her a projected infographic. "Isn't that terrible?"

He looked at her without a single trace of irony.

"That's awful," she agreed. She used her finger to scroll through the news article, attempting to read off his screen, but she couldn't decipher the foreign text.

She saw Yamato's name pop up again.

"Yamato texted you again," she told him.

Takeru turned the phone back so he could check the message.

"Is it important?" she asked him.

"Not really," Takeru muttered. "I'm meeting my mum tomorrow for lunch, so I was trying to get him to join us. He declined."

"Oh…" Hikari watched as he typed a response. "Maybe I can go instead."

He looked at her with confusion on his face.

"She lives nearby, and I haven't seen her in years. Maybe I should greet her," Hikari explained. In a few short seconds, she went from thinking it was a nice suggestion to second-guessing whether she was imposing herself. She was already with Takeru every single day. She didn't have to follow him around to every little thing. He probably thought she was obsessed with him.

Takeru smiled and put his phone back on the bedside stand, then he leaned down to kiss her. "Let's save that for next time, okay?"

She nodded okay. She regretted saying anything.

He left the room to put away his towel, and considering his hair sufficiently dry, turned off the light and lied on the bed beside her. He immediately pulled her into his arms, and she snuggled as close as she could get against him. His body was warm, and she liked the feeling of it next to her. He too sighed contently into her hair.

"I think my co-workers really liked you," she said into his chest. "They're probably going to ask me about you on Monday."

"I really liked them too. Except that Mori fellow. He seemed too interested in you."

Hikari giggled. "Yeah, but I think he's only interested because there are limited choices at school. Anyway, it's against school policy. I've told him that so many times."

She felt the vibrations in his chest as he laughed.

"What's so funny?" she asked, pulling back to look at him in the eyes.

"Nothing ever changes, does it? You always have too many guys who like you."

"That's not true."

"It's true."

"No, it's not."

"Let's see… You had me, you had Daisuke, Wallace, everyone from our school—"

"These are all people from when we were children, Takeru!"

"—everyone in Taichi's soccer club, that guy you were dating in uni, that guy you were dating when I visited Shimane, Mori—"

She stifled his face with her pillow. "You're exaggerating!"

He laughed, pulling the pillow away from her hand with relative ease.

"These are definitely all real people," he teased as he positioned himself over her. Even though it was dark, she could see the twinkle in his eyes reflected by the moonlight. "Who knows how many others there were when I was in Paris? Probably hundreds."

"There wasn't!"

He gently put the pillow back behind her head, then lowered himself for a slow kiss.

"I don't care anymore though. Mori can crush on you all he wants, but you're mine now."

"Am I?" she teased back, dangling her arms around his neck. "I don't remember ever belonging to anyone, Takeru."

She giggled as he bit her lower lip, kissing her repeatedly, intensifying it each time.

"Haven't you had enough?" she asked.

He hovered over her, those beautiful eyes staring into hers, his teeth still grazing her lips.

"Never, Hikari."

* * *

17 August 2020


End file.
